We give back to a local charity or organization at every closing. This month, the funds will go towards the Royal Family Kids Camp!
Below you'll find the content from their site with more information about the program. From their website, https://newlifepowell.com/ministries/royal-family-kids:
"Royal Family Kids
Royal Family KIDS is the nation's leading network of camps and mentor clubs for children of abuse, abandonment and neglect. Our prayer for this summer is to host a 4 day camp in the mountains for the children we serve. We invite you to pray with us that restrictions would be lifted, and that we would be able to gather enough volunteers to host a life-changing camp this summer! Our camp dates are July 6th-10th.
Watch a video from Royal Family Kids to learn more about how this camp will make a life-long difference in the life of a child by clicking the RFK picture above.
If you would like to apply to volunteer to help with camp this year, please click on the link to fill out the form below and we will be in contact with you soon! Feel free to contact Amy McLain at 754-0424 with any questions or for more information!
To Donate to our local camp click here.
For more information about Royal Family Kids Camp, click here.
2021 RFK Returning Volunteer Application, click here
2021 RFK New Volunteer Application, click here"
When it comes mortgages are concerned, "escrow" and "escrow accounts" refer to two slightly different concepts. Escrow is the process by which a neutral third party mediates a real estate deal, holding money and property "in escrow" until the two sides agree that all the conditions are met for a sale to close. By contrast, an escrow account is usually an account that helps to manage a mortgage borrower's annual tax and insurance costs.
Escrow refers to a third-party service that's usually mandatory in a home purchase. When a buyer and seller initially arrive at a purchase agreement, they select a neutral third party to act as the escrow agent. The escrow agent collects what is known as "earnest money" from the buyer: a deposit that is equal to a small percentage of the sale price. In exchange, the seller takes the property off the market. Until the final exchange is completed, both the buyer's deposit and the seller's property are said to be in escrow.
Escrow "accounts" have more to do with your monthly mortgage payment than the initial home purchase. When you borrow money from a bank or a direct mortgage lender, you'll usually be given an escrow account. This account is where the lender will deposit the part of your monthly mortgage payment that covers taxes and insurance premiums. By collecting a fraction of those annual costs each month, the escrow account reduces the risk that you'll fall behind on your obligations to the government or your insurance provider.
When you obtain a mortgage loan from a bank or direct lender, you also receive an escrow account that helps you pay your property taxes and homeowner's insurance premiums on time. Even though these costs are paid on an annual basis, your lender will require you to pay a monthly fraction towards each cost and accumulate the balance in your escrow account. This ensures that these expenses get paid on time every year.
Mortgage lenders require borrower escrow accounts in order to minimize the risk that you fall short of your financial obligations as a homeowner. In a foreclosure, unpaid taxes or insurance can result in liens that make it harder for the mortgage lender to recover the original loan. This creates a strong incentive for lenders to keep their borrowers on track with escrow accounts that smooth out the non-mortgage costs of owning a home.
Although escrow accounts conveniently allow lenders to pay the relevant taxes and insurance premiums on your behalf, they do have some drawbacks for the borrower. Lenders often require you to a keep a minimum balance in your escrow account to protect against any unexpected cost increases. The usual rule requires a minimum of two months' expenses on your mortgage escrow account, though the limit can be higher on riskier mortgages. Lenders usually review your escrow account once a year to make sure that the calculated payments are keeping up with costs.
Just like any other service provider involved in a real estate deal, the escrow agent will need to be paid a fee. Escrow services for a home purchase typically cost 1% to 2% of the final price. Based on national median home values, this translates to a fee of $2,000 to $4,000, which is added into your other closing costs. However, escrow fees are one of the many expenses that are negotiable between the buyer and seller. This means that you can try asking the other party to foot part or even all of the escrow fee, depending on local rules or the current market conditions.
If you're buying, you'll also need to deposit between 1% to 3% of the final sale price in a joint escrow account with the intended seller. This earnest money serves as proof that you're serious about following through with the sale, and it obligates the seller to take the property off the market while the transaction gets finalized. When you complete the transaction, the earnest money you put into escrow will be applied towards your down payment on the house. Earnest money in escrow isn't a fee, but you should be wary of the fact that it's possible to forfeit that money if you can't come to a final agreement with the seller.
Escrow plays a role in both your initial home purchase and the ongoing monthly mortgage payments that follow. In a purchase, the escrow process provides certain guarantees to both the buyer and the seller. Once the two parties agree on a sale, a neutral third party—a bank, title company or attorney—will receive the signed purchase agreement so that it act as the escrow agent. Escrow agents exist to monitor and help fulfill the conditions of the sale, such as the buyer's "earnest money" deposit for a percentage of the sale price.
Buyer Must Provide…
earnest money towards down payment
proof of mortgage loan approval
Seller Must Provide…
access to property for inspections
required repairs or renovations
inspection of title
Once a property is "in escrow", neither the buyer nor the seller will receive anything from the escrow company until all the conditions of the purchase agreement are met. For example, you might agree to purchase an older home on the condition that the building pass a safety inspection. Other common escrow conditions include repairs and property tax audits. Meanwhile, the buyer's earnest money proves to the seller that the buyer has both the intent and the ability to complete the purchase. Earnest money can be forfeited to the seller if the buyer backs out or fails to hold up the terms of the contract.
Escrow agents are also responsible for distributing money to parties other than the buyer and seller. These can include commissions to the real estate agent, prepaid mortgage interest to the lender, recording fees to the county office of records and the escrow agent's own fee. In this sense, escrow greatly simplifies the homebuying experience: without it, you'd be held responsible for sending timely and accurate payments to each and every party involved in the transaction.
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When you think of wallpaper, you likely picture rolls of material that are plastered or glued in place. Once the wallpaper is up on the walls, that’s pretty much it; while wallpaper can be removed, the process usually isn’t very quick or easy. If you want the look of wallpaper without the hassle, however, there is another option: peel and stick wallpaper. If you weren’t aware that this was available, it might be worth looking into.
Similar to some other wall decorations, peel and stick wallpaper is a vinyl applicant that has its own adhesive on one side. A protective paper backing covers the adhesive and is peeled off before application, allowing it to be placed without the need for glue or other messy adhesives. The adhesive on the back of peel and stick wallpaper is strong enough to hold the wallpaper in place, but not so strong that it can’t be removed with ease; when you’re ready to take it down you can simply peel it off without having to worry about the wallpaper tearing or causing any sort of damage to the wall surface beneath it.
As with more traditional wallpaper options, peel and stick wallpapers typically feature repeating designs that are essentially seamless once everything has been installed. The self-adhesive nature of the wallpaper makes it easy to start a wallpaper installation since you can position the first piece more easily than you might with wallpapers that have separate adhesives.
There is another advantage to using this self-stick adhesive as well. Because it’s designed to release easily, you can adjust the positioning of the wallpaper with ease during the installation process. This helps to ensure that none of the wallpaper is crooked or out of alignment, since you can correct any problems as they occur without having to reapply adhesive or worry about damaging the paper.
One big advantage that peel and stick wallpaper has over more traditional wall coverings is that you can remove it and replace it whenever you need to. The vinyl material that peel and stick wallpaper is made from is harder than paper, so not only is it less likely to be damaged in day-to-day life but it’s also much less likely to tear during removal. The adhesive on the wallpaper leaves no residue behind and isn’t going to peel off paint or other surface details. While peel and stick wallpaper typically isn’t designed for reuse after removal, you can remove one peel and stick design and replace it with a different design, or even more traditional wallpaper, without any issue.
Peel and stick wallpaper goes well on walls, but it can also be applied to other surfaces as well. The main requirement for application is a clean, dry surface without texture. Your walls should be painted with at least a base coat, but the paint shouldn’t have any texturing agents added. Surfaces with non-stick elements added (such as non-stick paint) or residues need to be cleaned or painted before application as well. Peel and stick wallpaper can be added to drywall, wood or any other surface that either meets its requirements or can be painted to provide the clean, smooth surface that the wallpaper needs for adhesion.
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Listing photos are the first chance many potential buyers get to be exposed to your home. This is why being prepared for listing photos and ensuring your home looks ready to sell is a key part in the home listing process. Here are some tips to prepare your home for listing photos!
Clear Off Kitchen Counters & Sink
When the kitchen counters are completely cleared off, buyers can imagine how they might use the space for themselves. Kitchen items and decor only distract buyers can often make the kitchen feel cluttered. You will want to remove everything except a handful of decorative items from the countertops and thoroughly clean all surfaces.
Clear & Clean Bathroom Sinks, Tubs, and Showers
Take all of your bath/shower items and place them into a bin that can go underneath the sink. This can help your bathroom look bigger. Clear off the counters so that bathrooms look unused, but it is okay to leave clean hand towels and hand soap.
Replace Burned Out Light Bulbs
Make sure you check all of the ceiling lights, lamps, and exterior lights to make sure that they all work and can correctly illuminate your space. If there are dark areas in your home, feel free to add a few extra lamps to brighten them up. Additional light can make an area look more spacious so the more light, the better!
Turn On All Lights Throughout The Entire House
You want your home to be captured in the best light, and so it is essential to have as much light as possible. Before your photographer comes, turn on all of the lights in the house!
Open All Windows
Natural light from windows brings life to photos. Opening all of the window treatments in your home to let in as much light as possible. If it's too bright, your photographer can adjust as needed. Make sure you clean the windows if they will be photographed!
Remove Unnecessary Furniture & Decorations
This is probably the hardest part, but it's one of the most important. Removing and storing furniture that doesn’t bring value to your photos can be hard, but it opens up the floor space and helps to not distract potential buyers. Buyers want to be able to visualize their items in your home and that can be hard to do if the room is cluttered with furniture.
Turn All Ceiling Fans, TVs, and Computer Screens Off
Any moving items like ceiling fans or active TV/Computer screens can look very strange in photos. You should turn off anything that moves or can cause a motion blur.
Clear Off Appliance Surfaces
Be sure to remove photos, magnets, notes, reminders, and other personal information from the refrigerator or any other appliance you have decorated. It will not only make your home appear cleaner, but it also keeps your personal info safe.
Make All of the Beds
Be sure to make and decorate all the beds in your home with matching sheets, blankets, and pillows. Use bedding fits correctly and covers the mattress.
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When you're buying and selling at the same time, the process can be stressful. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
{Insert Elite West}⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
We strive to make the process as smooth as possible, always staying 3 steps ahead. We offer a courtesy, major systems home inspection before the house hits the market so we can ensure we don't run into any major hurdles or setbacks when it comes to the inspection period.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Unlike the typical brokerage, you can expect the same, exceptional client experience from every agent here.
Expect More. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Experience the Difference.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
To learn more about our seller experience, visit us at https://www.elitewestrealty.com/seller-experience
Ready for a pressure-free price opinion? Let's chat! Our team of full-time professionals is always available. We can be reached any day of the week // 307-764-6222.
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When it's down to the final day or two before closing, the LAST thing you want to do is clean the oold house!
{Enter Elite West}⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
We get it. And to help ease the transition, we're offering 4 hours of courtesy move-out cleaning services to our seller clients.
Unlike the typical brokerage, you can expect the same, exceptional client experience from every agent here.
Expect More.
Experience the Difference.
To learn more about our seller experience, visit us at https://www.elitewestrealty.com/seller-experience
Ready for a pressure-free price opinion? Let's chat! Our team of full-time professionals is always available. We can be reached any day of the week // 307-764-6222.
Source: https://www.thebalancesmb.com/stop-freezing-pipes-2124982
The Best 6 Steps to Take to Increase Resale Value
Everyone who is getting ready to sell wants to make the most money possible in the process. While you may see a great deal of value in your home, that love you’ve created doesn’t always translate to financial gain. The best way to actually increase the value of your home and therefore your potential profit is by improving and updating the things in your home that buyers are looking for.
While there may be projects that you would prefer to do or may seem easier, It’s important to focus on the renovations that will net you the highest ROI. We have complied a this list for you to reference for their ability to produce high ROI. If you are looking to boost your resale value, check out the steps
Kitchen Remodel
Real estate experts will always tell you that the highest ROI renovating your home can undergo is in the kitchen. People really want nice kitchens and it seems to be a major focus for a lot of homebuyers. The biggest priority when renovating your kitchen should be the layout. Have a functional space that can easily be updated is key. Once your space has ‘good bones’ you will want to find materials that have a high quality look without a big price tag. You can make a space update a space and make it look great without having to use marble or granite.
Bathroom Updates
Not far behind kitchens, bathrooms are the second place buyers place a great deal of value. Thankfully, bathroom updates don’t have to drain your savings. Primary bathrooms are the most important and should be your focus if you only want to update one bathroom.
Fix Plumbing
The biggest concern of potential buyers is structural concerns. You can have a beautiful home that can turn into a disaster if structural issues aren’t addressed. Replacing old piping with a newer plastic solution is a huge selling point and can calm some of the potential fears that come with buying a home.
Get Rid of Stucco/Paneling
Wood paneling and Stucco are common in many older homes. Not only do these things tend to be unattractive to buyers, but they also show potential buyers that you likely haven’t made other efforts to update your home. If they have to worry about what is going on with what they see, they are likely to worry about what they cannot.
Replace Siding
Curb appeal plays a major role in getting people in the door of your home. It makes sense to focus on how the outside will appear to potential buyers, so having yellowing siding that used to be white is unlikely to attract buyers. For those on a budget, you can also try power washing - it can bring better results than you might expect and it barely costs anything!