Valerie Mineiko's Real Estate Blog

  What Needs To Be Disclosed? Once you have decided to  sell your home , the seller’s disclosures are extremely important. Over the years, different real estate brokers have told their clients many opposing views about what is required to disclose. For example, some say that it’s not necessary to disclose that there was a death on the property. Others say you should disclose every single thing that’s ever happened in the house. Actually, the law governs what should and should not be disclosed, not your  real estate broker . While disclosures vary from state to state, there are federal laws that need to be followed, the most notable is regarding lead-based paint. The best procedure, especially if you’ve had a suggestion that seems too extreme one way or another, is to consult a real estate attorney who knows your state’s disclosure laws. Many Disclosure Laws Are Region-specific: Tornado disclosures in Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Iowa, Nebraska  California and Nevada have...

  Working From Home Working from home is clearly a rising trend with all that’s happening today.  Of coarse, even dating back to data from the U.S. Census, almost 8 million people worked at home in 2017, and that number was increasing every day – before the Shelter in Place order! Therefore, having  nice home office space  is definitely an integral part of the millennial home purchaser’s criteria. Here are some tips to help you with your home office: Create a Dedicated Office Space in Your Home One of the most difficult things to overcome when working from home is the distractions. It’s important that you create an atmosphere that is conducive to creativity and professionalism. If your home is large enough to accommodate an office/den dedicated solely to working, this will be a big draw for many millennials who plan to work from home. If you don’t have a dedicated office/ den in your home, you should try to establish a semi-private area in your home where a pote...

Equity is the current value of your property minus the amount of liens against it. If you own  property that’s worth  $350,000, and you have a mortgage with a balance of $100,000, your equity in the property is $250,000. Many home buyers often rely to some extent on the equity in their current home to help buy their next home. The more equity you have, the greater the possible down payment for a trade-up home. Home equity can equal security. The more you have, the better off you are, and the more stable you feel. So let’s talk about how to build home equity faster.  Making Larger Payments Building home equity comes at a price, typically in the form of a larger  mortgage payment . A trap that you definitely want to avoid is becoming house-rich and cash-poor.  If building home equity means incurring too much debt to live comfortably, then you’ve defeated the purpose of building home equity in the first place. A good option in building your home equity is to make a...

In the cold weather, mice have even more reason than usual to try to move into your home. There really isn’t anything good about mice sneaking in your home. Mice don’t just gnaw holes into walls and floors and destroy your wiring, they can also bring in germs and disease. Oh, and one more reason to seriously want mice gone – if your home is  on the market , or going to be on the market, mice will scare away  potential buyers . Here are some tips to help keep them out. 1.  Prevention is the Always Your Best Defense Don’t keep yucky rodent hangouts like trash cans, piles of junk and old firewood close to your house. Make sure your garage and outside areas are clear of these. Don’t forget to bring your garbage out on garbage day every week. Look around to see where the pests have been getting in, then stuff those holes with steel wool or aluminum foil — both of these will stand up against the sharp mouse teeth. Make sure you are careful to seal up both the inside and the out...