Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Mullinax Team!

We all have seen the implications of the current economy this year on our families, friends and businesses.  Despite the tough year it has been, we’ve been so blessed to have such a great community of clients, vendors and professionals to work with.  As we celebrate this time of year, we are grateful for having you in our lives as well as the opportunity to do business with you.  Enjoy this Christmas season and have a blessed new year!

From all of us here at the Mullinax Team!

Paying attention to how your home will appear to others will help you sell your home

If you are trying to sell a home in today’s market there are a few things to keep in mind that will help your home stand apart from the pack.  Prioritize and analyze what will fit in your budget and take the steps necessary to make your home show well and appeal to prospective buyers.

• Fresh & Clean: Inspect your home inside and out. Does it need a fresh coat of paint? A new coat of paint will always be recouped in the sale of a home and is well worth the cost.  Does it look clean and spacious?  Pack up extra items that are not in use, the more clutter free the better it will show.  Just like an empty house shows better.

• Curb appeal: Pay attention to your home as if you were a potential buyer.  Is it warm and inviting?  Clean?  Spruce up your landscaping, make sure that your lawn is green and well-kept, that your flower beds are weeded and mulched, and that the exterior of your house is clean and presentable.

• Inspection: There will be a home inspection completed by the buyer after you receive the agreed upon contract. If its in your budget try to do one yourself.  Attend to as many items that could possibly hold up the sales process.

• Best areas of a home to update and remodel? The Master Bathroom and Kitchen.  Don’t spend the money to redo your entire home but remodeling the master bath and kitchen areas of your home will make it more appealing and quickly catch a buyer’s eye.

• Evaluate: Are the remodel/updates going to net you more than you are putting into them?  It is very important to pay attention to your local market and make the improvements that will help not hurt.  If you are not going to get the money back that you are intending to put into your home, don’t make changes.  Do only low-cost improvements and concentrate on making sure your home is kept neat and clean.

Check out YahooRealEstate.com for more information and helpful hints on ways to sell your home. If your interested in selling your home call Bonnie Mullinax at 770.606.0054 for a FREE market analysis.

GREAT LOCATION! CLOSE TO I-75 w/EASY ACESS.  3 BEDROOMS, 3 BATHS, BEAUTIFUL HARDWOOD FLOORS IN KITCHEN w/LARGE DINING AREA. THE BASEMENT IS EXPANSIVE & COMPLETELY FINISHED w/BED, BATH & LARGE RECREATION ROOM, PLUS OFFICE OR 4^TH BEDROOM. WHAT A BUY IN THE REMINGTON OAKS SUBDIVISION!

In regards to your home, most money-saving ideas cost money to implement. Over time, most homeowners come to accept this inevitable fact of home ownership. That being said, there are some things that are relatively inexpensive that you can do to save money. The best part of them is that the cost can be recovered very quickly, which leaves you almost no excuse not to implement them. One of these ways is to install programmable thermostats. Whether you live in a cold-weather state like New York and need your heat on most of the year, or you live in a warm-weather state, such as Georgia and cannot live without air-conditioning, pre-setting your indoor temperatures will save you a lot of money!

Installing programmable thermostats can cost anywhere from $50 to $150. This investment allows you to set your heating and cooling to fluctuate at a desired controlled temperature throughout the day and night. For instance, when you sleep you can lower your heat dramatically and have it programmed to turn up on your waking hour. Don’t forget to shop around and compare prices and deals at our Cartersville area Home Depot or Lowe’s, as many utility companies offer rebates on high-tech thermostats. 

For more information about calculating energy costs see the http://www.energy.gov/georgia.htm.

  FIRST-TIME HOMEBUYER TAX CREDIT

As Modified in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

Major Modifications Italicized

For more info on the credit and the 2009 Stimulus legislation visit http://www.realtor.org/government_affairs/gapublic/american_recovery_reinvestment_act_home?lid=ronav0019 or consult your tax adviser.

Get The Job Done in Only A Few Short Steps…. 

For many people it seems too overwhelming a task to go through their belongings and furniture with the goal of getting rid of some of it. Unfortunately when moving to a smaller house, it often becomes absolutely necessary to do this. Here are some ways to make the process more manageable.

• Plan Ahead – Don’t wait to start clearing old items until a family has agreed to purchase the home you have had on the market. This could leave you with as little as a couple of weeks to sort through decades of belongings. Start going through your things and getting rid of stuff a month or two before you even put your home on the market. Not only will this give you ample time to decide what you really cherish and want to keep, but it will make your home more appealing to potential buyers.
• Include the entire family – Certain objects and possessions mean different things to different family members. Holding onto an old piano that no one ever plays, only means more moving cost and excess unwanted furniture in your new home.
• Photos – Give yourself plenty of time for the task of digitizing all of your family’s photos. Since they are one of our most valued possessions, why not take them out of those giant boxes, scan them and make a CD? This will cut down on a tremendous amount of clutter and it will keep family memories safe forever.
• Shedding basement objects first- Many people put things away in their basements, attics and sheds assuming that someday they may find a need for it again. Seriously consider which items you can live without and start getting rid of them by donating them to your local area shelter or having a yard sale.
• “First Point of Entry” – The buyer first impression is critical, and shapes their impression through the entire showing process. Clean, paint and eliminate carpet stains, and dirty spots through out the house. Each room should be sparsely furnished to appear larger and lighter. Be wary of too many personal items and photographs thay may be distracting for buyers. Open window blinds and leave on table lamps for pleasant lighting.
• Front Yard – Make sure the yard is mowed and edged, remove toys, junk piles, empty flower pots, etc. Declutter flower beds, trim or remove overgrown shrubs, remove dead plants or trees.

Let The Mullinax Team give you more great ideas on getting your home sold in todays market. Visit us at www.mullinaxteam.com for more information.

Question: We have a number of vacant homes in our homeowner association. Does the HOA have a responsibility to secure and protect them?

Answer: This is more of an issue in HOAs that have attached or common wall housing like condominiums and townhomes. Most of the damage to vacant units is caused by rodents, freezing pipes that cause flooding, and vandalism. An unheated unit could have pipes freeze which causes flooding to it and neighboring units. This could be disastrous in a high rise condominium.

Controlling the freezing issue is extremely important in units vacant for long periods of time. While most HOAs have the legal right to have access to vacant units for emergencies, the HOA needs to pre-plan by being aware of specific units which are vacant and know whether they are abandoned or merely temporarily vacant.

If a unit has been abandoned due to foreclosure, the HOA should take proactive measures to ensure that the unit is winterized (pipes, toilets and hot water heater drained). Beyond that, the HOA is not responsible to damage the unit interior may suffer due to extended vacancy. Abandoned units are usually in some stage of foreclosure, so at some point a lender will take measures to secure and protect their collateral. Until then, the HOA needs to do what is necessary to protect neighboring units.

Question: Our governing documents are over 20 years old and outdated. What process should we use to bring them up to date?

Answer: You should always use a knowledgeable HOA attorney when amending documents to ensure they comply with proper form, current statutes and get properly recorded. Amendments to the governing documents require an appropriate vote (as defined by the governing documents) of the members which varies sometimes depending on the type of amendment. In other words, some amendments may require a larger or smaller number of “yes” votes. If you plan many or some sweeping changes, break out the individual amendments and vote on them individually.

Question: Do you have information regarding the Americans with Disability Act and its affect on HOAs?

Answer: In general, HOAs are required to provide “reasonable accommodations” to persons with verified (like a doctor’s letter) disabilities. That means the board needs to allow necessary installations like ramps to a unit or reassign HOA controlled parking spaces to disabled residents for easier access to their unit. The HOA is not required to pay for these installations and can require reasonable quality standards.

That said, if a majority or sizeable number of members have disabilities (like many senior residents who can’t climb stairs), it is certainly permissible to have the HOA pay for and maintain commonly used ramps, handrails and other installations which many would use.

Question: We recently received notice of a $300 special assessment which is due in 30 days. This special assessment was necessary due to a number of foreclosures that made some past due accounts uncollectible. Why should the other members have to pay for this?

Answer: You are describing a fundamental reality of HOA living: If all members don’t pay their fair share, the rest have to fill the gap. That is why it is so critically important to have an aggressive collection policy that includes filing liens to protect the HOA’s interests. “Aggressive” means that any amount that is at least 10 days past due should receive a late notice and late fee. Any 30 days past due, should receive a 10 day notice to pay or the matter will be turned over to an attorney for collection. All legal and collection costs should be charged to the delinquent owner. There are other important collection considerations.

For more innovative homeowner association management strategies, see Regenesis.net.

Written by Richard Thompson

Despite home price drops in many cities, remodeling projects are holding their own as a way for owners to add value.

  Many people are wondering where their money will be safest during these uncertain economic times. Experts still advise investing in your home still pays off.  

National Association of Realtors® (NAR) statistics show that home prices have fallen by an average of 7 percent nationally in the past year. But the value of home owners’ investment in remodeling projects has declined only 3.86 percent on average between 2007 and 2008, according to Remodeling’s 2008–2009 Cost vs. Value Report.  

Remodeling produces the Cost vs. Value Report each year in cooperation with Realtor® magazine. Realtors responding to a survey in midsummer said home owners could expect to recoup a national average of 67.3 percent of their investment in 30 different home improvement projects. At the height of the housing boom in 2005, home owners could expect to recoup a national average of 86.7 percent on projects.  

Remodeling remains hot in 10 cities, where, on at least some projects, home owners can recover 100 percent of their costs. In Charlotte, N.C., for example, decks, midrange kitchen remodels, vinyl siding, and window-replacement projects all would net more than they cost, in respondents’ estimation. High rates of recovery were seen in both strong real estate markets and weak ones.   

Many cities with the highest rates of recovery were smaller—Jackson, Miss., and Billings, Mont., for example—which may point to lower labor and materials costs that are easier to recoup.   

Seattle also made the list of cities with a cost recovery of more than 100 percent on decks and minor kitchen remodels. In fact, Pacific Coast cities recorded the best payback on remodeling by a wide margin, as they did in 2007. Although construction costs on the Pacific Coast are nearly 17 percent higher than national averages, the value of renovations at resale more than makes up for those higher prices.   

The result is an average cost-recouped percentage that’s 14.8 percent higher than in the rest of the country. The toughest place to get your money back: Midwestern cities such as Chicago, Cleveland, Indianapolis, and Milwaukee.  

Top 10 Project Paybacks

  Once again, exterior remodeling projects lead the way for recovery on dollars spent in this year’s Cost vs. Value survey. When you compare the national averages, replacement projects that boost curb appeal—siding, windows, and decks—give you the greatest chance of recouping your money. Inside, only kitchen remodels can compare, at least on a national level.

• Upscale fiber cement siding (86.7%)
• Midrange wood deck (81.8%)
• Midrange vinyl siding (80.7%)
• Upscale foam-backed vinyl (80.4%)
• Midrange minor kitchen remodel (79.5%) 
• Upscale vinyl window replacement (79.2%)
• Midrange wood window replacement (77.7%)
• Midrange vinyl window replacement (77.2%)
• Upscale wood window replacement (76.5%
• Midrange major kitchen remodel (76.0%)

Written by Realty Times Staff

HARDWOOD FLOORS EVERYWHERE! ENORMOUS MASTER SUITE W/SITTING ROOM. A CHEFS DREAM KITCHEN – SPACIOUS AND CHARMING. BIG FAMILIES WILL LOVE THIS FINISHED BASEMENT OFFICE, BEDROOM, FULL BATH & FAMILY ROOM. ALL NEUTRAL PAINT, BETTER THAN NEW!

Click here for more pictures of this home

$199,850… MR & MRS CLEAN LIVE HERE. THIS HOME IS PERFECTION W/SO MUCH ROOM. NEW ADDITION SCREEN PORCH, CORIAN KITCHEN, NEW APPLIANCES & FORMAL DINING ROOM W/EXTENSIVE MOLDINGS. THIS HOME HAS A HUGE MASTER & AN ENORMOUS 5TH BEDROOM.

For more information and pictures, click here