Well here we are at the unofficial start of summer – Memorial Day weekend just passed, and we are trying to get back to some kind of normalcy. Many families had barbecues which have always been a huge Memorial Day Tradition; however, this year they probably included less guests than in years past – probably just immediate family. I was fortunate enough to take my boat out this weekend – just with my family.
Another Memorial Day tradition is looking for new houses and one thing that is for sure the master-planned community of Summerlin is ready. Some of the nation’s top homebuilders have contributed to making Summerlin what it is today – The top selling master-planned community west of the Mississippi.
The homebuilders have all put in place social distancing guidelines and cleaning after each viewing. As a Realtor I do the same with the homes I show for sale. We at the Jeff Howard Group show by appointment only and follow social distancing protocols. Besides that, we all wear masks, gloves and booties inside the home being shown, and sanitize our hands regularly. If you would like a virtual tour prior to looking at a home in person, I will gladly go and film a virtual tour and concentrate on specific interests you might have. I go the extra mile for my clients, the home builders also have virtual tours you can look at.
When you decide on your forever home, I can set up virtual meetings with lenders, inspectors, escrow and anyone else we need to communicate with so you are not coming into personal contact with any more people than you want to. Meetings can be done via Zoom or another video platform, signing can be electronic. My point is, we can do everything in a way that makes you feel comfortable and safe. After all I want to be your Realtor for life… a long healthy life!
Do you have a need for commercial / industrial / retail buildings or land? Are you ready to buy or sell a home? We can help you with that, safely… just call us at 702 SELL NOW or click on this link to my website http://www.702SellNow.com
The kitchen is the heart of the home and now that we are all home more than we used to be, it serves basically as the center of operations for most families, which means it is probably the most trafficked area of your home. The kitchen should be functional and appealing plus well planned out.
The following are tips on how to have a kitchen that works for you and your family:
Kitchen islands help enhance the kitchen in many different ways. They help define the space the kitchen plus they also give you additional work and dining areas. Many families like to change it up when it comes to eating meals adding bar stools to the kitchen island and gives a bar-like feeling to many dining experiences. If your house does not have room for a large island, you can buy smaller ones that are on wheels from many retailers.
Extendable tables provide flexibility without have to put in table leafs. All you have to do with an extendable table is lift and slide with a base table that expands. Very good for projects you give the kids to do and still be in the same room.
Eat-in kitchens have a very wide appeal with all types of families – couples, singles, and families with kids. It is more casual than going into the dining room and is more highly functional. You can figure out what type of table fits your needs better… a round or rectangular table. The kind of materials the table is made of is also important – you want something that is easy to clean. Glass tops are very popular, they create a sense of lightness.
Lighting in the kitchen is important and chandelier lighting both sensible and esthetically pleasing. Putting it on a dimmer is great for giving the room atmosphere.
Mirrors and artwork help add a finishing touch to the space as they do in other areas of your home.
You should think about a timeless look with a soothing color palette. Many people go for white, taupe and grey a very neutral color scheme. If you like more color try soft yellow or add a splash of red orange or even green – the colors found in nature.
Real estate is still being bought and sold. Safety is our top priority. The Jeff Howard Group will make a one-on-one appointment with you when you want to visit a property in person and we use masks, gloves and booties and of course social distancing. Meetings can be done via Zoom or another platform, signing can be electronic and many homes have virtual tours set up for you to see – if they don’t, I can go and take a video for you.
Do you have a need for commercial / industrial / retail buildings or land? Are you ready to buy or sell a home? We can help you with that, safely… just call us at 702 SELL NOW or click on this link to my website http://www.702SellNow.com
Staying at home and being in self isolation was ok at first. However is has now stretched on to the point of boredom for a lot of people. There’s quite a difference between choosing to stay at home and having to stay at home. Many people at home are starting to look for things that need to be done around the house – if you’re going to be stuck at home every day, you might as well be productive.
Fortunately, there are a number of cleaning tasks that can keep you busy for a while. Don’t just dust, vacuum and call it a day, though. Consider tackling the following jobs as well to reduce your future maintenance needs and ensure that you’re ready to face the next months ahead.
Clean the Windows (And the Screens)
Cleaning the windows is a classic spring-cleaning task (or in Las Vegas an anytime task) but it’s one of those tasks that’s all too easy to only do halfway. When you clean your windows, make sure to clean both the inside and the outside with a quality glass cleaner or vinegar (mix water with distilled white vinegar in equal parts and pour the solution into a spray bottle). Take those newspaper style advertisements you get in the mail and use those instead of paper towels. They do a better job! Also, since you removed the window screens, clean them as well, especially if any of them have dirt or other icky stuff stuck in them after the winter.
Pressure Washing
Dirt, mold, mildew and moss can all degrade the materials of your home over time. That’s why it’s a good idea to break out the pressure washer and give your home a good scrub down at least once a year. Spring is a good time to do this since it’s usually still a bit too cool for things that grow on your house to get out of hand. While you’ve got the pressure washer out, you should also look to see if there’s anything else around the house that could use a good deep clean. Check out picnic tables, fences and any other spots where dirt and other contaminants might accumulate. If you don’t own a pressure washer, Home Depot rents them!
Gutter Cleaning
A lot of people view gutter cleaning as a fall task, associating full gutters with fallen leaves. There are a lot of things that can clog up your gutters, though, including debris that gets washed off your roof by spring rain. To reduce wear and tear on your gutters and make cleaning them easier overall, make cleaning your gutters into a task that you should do at least twice a year.
Don’t Forget the Furniture
It’s easy to forget that dust and dirt accumulate on furniture as well as other places in your home. Break out the vacuum or a steam cleaner to give your furniture a good cleaning as a part of your spring-cleaning routine. Not only will this keep your furniture looking good and in good shape for longer, but it can also reduce allergies and other health issues within your home.
After doing all of this you will have a very clean home and a keen interest in getting back to work.
Real estate is still being bought and sold. Do you have a need for commercial / industrial / retail buildings or land? Are you ready to buy or sell a home? We can help you with that, safely… just call us at 702 SELL NOW or click on this link to my website http://www.702SellNow.com
As we all know buying or selling a home can be stressful under all circumstances and the current state of the world is far from ordinary. Sales have fallen off slightly, however there are still a lot of people buying and selling right now (if you want a better sense of the current market visit www.JeffHowardGroup.com/marketupdate). Since, as they say, “the show must go on”, Real Estate agents in the Las Vegas Valley have come up with a few ways for buyers and sellers to accomplish their goals safely.
If you’re ready to sell or buy, here are a few new “rules” to keep in mind when entering the real estate market in the era of social distancing.
Increasing Online Presence – One of the big changes to the real estate process is an increased dependence on online resources instead of in-person shopping. This includes lots of pictures and videos of properties being posted online, however many sellers are taking things even further than this. Recorded virtual tours, online conferences to allow buyers to ask questions about the property, and even livestream walkthroughs with a seller or agent showing the property are all increasingly popular options to supplement or even replace in-person showings.
Open houses have been cancelled due to social distancing and Realtors want to make sure everyone feels safe. In Nevada they have been banned for now. Online “virtual open house” conferences are popping up as one option to adapt to this, letting multiple potential buyers come together on Zoom or a similar video conference service at the same time to get a better feel for the property that’s being sold.
While this may not be enough extra information to decide if that is the home you want to buy, it is often enough to eliminate it. Photos tell part of the story, but a virtual walkthrough tells much more. Because of this, we have reduced the number of homes buyers needs to personally visit to find the right home for you and your family.
More One-on-One Time – Since online access and virtual tours show so much of what buyers want to see, there are a few that are signing on the dotted line without getting a chance to see a property in person first. Most agents are meeting with potential buyers by appointment only when a potential buyer still wants to visit the property in question, and everyone is encouraged to restrict the size of the meeting as much as reasonable. These appointments should be made with the understanding that if any participant feels the least bit under the weather on the day of the meet-up, then it will need to be rescheduled for another time.
Respecting Social Distancing – When buyers and agents do meet up, the process is usually a little different than it used to be. Social distancing rules are usually respected; meaning that everyone involved should stay at least six feet apart from anyone they don’t live with to prevent potential infection. Your agent is going to take his/her car separately and you’ll drive your family in yours. Discussions about the property and general Q&As are more likely to occur outdoors in the open air, and any greetings or introductions skip out on traditional handshakes. Masks, gloves, shoe covers and hand sanitizer are used, and many sellers go through and open all of the doors and windows to both maximize airflow and to allow interested buyers access to the entire house without having to touch doorknobs or other surfaces in order to see inside.
Closing Remotely – Remote closings are becoming much more common, taking advantage of video conferencing to bring everyone together without actually having to be in the same room. There may be some instances where people must meet in person to have some items Notarized, but digital signing is substituted when allowed because it removes that point of contact. When people do come together to sign, everyone will utilize social distancing and pens won’t be shared.
We expect some of these practices to “survive” long after this incredibly disruptive virus is under control. If you have any questions about how to buy or sell in “the new normal” please contact me and my team & I will “hold your hand” through it… figuratively of course… not literally.
Real estate is still being bought and sold. Do you have a need for commercial / industrial / retail buildings or land? Are you ready to buy or sell a home? We can help you with that, safely… just call us at 702 SELL NOW or click on this link to my website http://www.702SellNow.com
