Stephanie Lane Realty World Selzer Realty

01/14/2022

My 5 year plan! But where???

😎❤😎

05/29/2014

How’s the Market?
By Richard Selzer

Cut Your Moving Bill
Moving comes with some unavoidable expenses, but you can cut some moving expenses by following these tips.
The most obvious way to save money is to move yourself rather than hiring a moving company to pack your belongings and truck them to your new place.
If you have a choice about when to move, and you plan to use movers, avoid the high season premium and move before June or after September.
If you can reduce what the movers move, you can save money, so get a floor plan of your new home and take a look in your closet: do you really wear all those clothes? Use moving as an opportunity to pare down. You can have a big garage sale or donate some
belongings to the Ukiah Senior Center, Hospice, Good Will, or other worthy organizations.
If you have a lot of books, consider mailing them at the media rate. It may be cheaper than having movers deal with them. If you haven’t digitized your music, consider doing so and selling or donating your old CDs (if it’s been a while since you moved get rid
of the 8 tracks as well).
If you have weight-lifting equipment or heavy tools, it could actually be cheaper overall to sell the equipment and/or tools before you move and buy new ones when you arrive at your new home. The same goes for a heavy pool table, kitchen appliances, and
other heavy items.
If you have a fireplace, do yourself and the people who bought your house a favor: leave them the fireplace screen and fixtures. There’s a decent chance that the screen won’t fit your new fireplace as well as it fits the old, and the size and shape of screens typically makes them awkward to move.
The only upside to moving expenses is that they are frequently tax deductible. Keep
records during your move, including transportation, lodging and meals. You should also
keep records of home improvements and expenses associated with preparing your house for
sale. Check with your accountant to find out exactly what is tax deductible.
Before you start packing, create a detailed inventory of your possessions for
insurance purposes (it’s best to use photos or video). In fact, you should have a recent
inventory of your possessions whether you’re moving or not.
The other thing you should do before you move is to wait until your escrow closes. I
know this sounds obvious, but as someone who’s been in this business for some time, I can
tell you transactions that look rock solid can sometimes fall apart.
You may also want to check your homeowners insurance to see if it can be applied
to your future residence or partially refunded to you. And, if you’re owed any deposits, it’s
wise to collect them while you’re still in town. Writing letters is far less motivational than
dealing with someone in person. Finally, don’t forget to contact the utility companies on both ends, to end service for
the house you’re leaving and to make sure service is ready to start the day you arrive at your
new home. It’s tough to move in when you can’t turn the lights on.
If you’re not moving away from Ukiah, be sure to save the following dates for this
year’s Sundays in the Park concerts.
Sunday, June 15 - New Orleans R & B Brass Band music by The Dirty Dozen Brass
Band
Sunday, June 29 - Brooklyn alternative country music by The Defibulators
Sunday, July 13 - Futuristic Gypsy Rock by Diego's Umbrella
Sunday, July 27 - Roots Jazz Collective Dustbowl Revival
Sunday, Aug. 10 - Twice as Good and the John Mattern Band
Sunday, Aug. 17 - The Ford Brothers Band (blues)
If there’s something you would like me to write about or if you have questions about
real estate or property management, feel free to contact me at [email protected] or
visit our website at www.realtyworldselzer.com. If I use your suggestion in a column, I’ll
send you’re a $5.00 gift card to Schat’s Bakery. If you’d like to read previous articles, visit my
blog at www.richardselzer.com. Dick Selzer is a real estate broker who has been in the business for
more than 35 years.

Each Realty World Office Is Independently Owned and Operated. The information provided herein is supplied by several sources and is subject to change without notice. The owner of this website does not guarantee or is in any way responsible for its accuracy, and provides said information without warr…

05/29/2014

Stephanie Lane has been serving home buyers and sellers in Mendocino and Lake Counties since 2000, Stephanie is now bringing her skills and knowledge to Realty World Selzer Realty. Stephanie brings with her years of experience, combined with a diligent passion to always look out for her clients best interests, including always being quick to respond to calls and e-mails weather it’s morning or night. With highly developed negotiations skills and meticulous attention to detail, Stephanie takes pride in her ability to “walk” her clients calmly through the often difficult escrow process. Each transaction is full of intricacies which Stephanie navigates with ease even when facing daunting problems.
When you're searching for an experienced and knowledgeable professional who will give you the direction and dedication you deserve while protecting your interests at every turn, look to Stephanie Lane.
When not assisting buyers and sellers, Stephanie enjoys spending time her with two boys, boating on Lake Mendocino, hiking in Montgomery Woods, and camping at Blue Lakes.
Call Stephanie today at 707-245-5705 today!

05/27/2014

May 23, 2014
How’s the Market?
By Richard Selzer

How to Maximize Curb Appeal and Sell Your House
With the weather improving and everything in bloom, this is an excellent time to put
your house on the market. The question is: how do you get people to do more than drive
by? How do you get them to call their REALTOR and schedule an appointment to tour the
property? The answer is curb appeal.
Curb appeal is aptly named; it refers to the way your house looks from the curb, and
it is often the difference between selling your house quickly and having it languish on the
market. Even when buyers take the time to schedule an appointment to see a house, they
sometimes drive up with their REALTOR and say, “Let’s not go inside.” It’s the REALTOR’S
job to overcome that sentiment, but it’s better if your house is so inviting that the buyers
can’t wait to get out of the car.
To improve your house’s curb appeal, here are a few ideas. If you have a front deck
or patio, put attractive outdoor furniture there. If you have a big enough front lawn, set up a
tidy game of croquet. If you have children, make sure their toys are stowed so they are not
distracting. They can be visible, but they shouldn’t be all over the place.
Plant fresh flowers in flower boxes, or at the very least, remove the dried up old
leftovers from January. Mow the lawn and w**d the garden (and make sure you pull up any
w**ds in sidewalk joints and driveway cracks). Coil garden hoses or put them in the garage,
and make sure front fences, gates, and the front of the house have a nice coat of paint.
If you have a teenager, offer to have your teenager mow your neighbors’ lawns, too.
If you have a neighbor whose car has been up on blocks for the past several months (or
years), there’s not much you can do.
Once you’ve got curb appeal mastered, don’t forget to prepare the inside of your
house, too. Remember to clean, declutter (remove about a third of your furniture), repair
broken or unsightly fixtures, and replace hot pink furnishings with neutral ones.
I was recently asked how much improving is too much? The basic rule of thumb is
that you want to make back your investment: improvements should pay for themselves. In
preparing your house for sale, you’ll usually be better served with a few repairs or a little
refurbishing rather than big renovations. For example, unless your kitchen is mustard and
avocado and your refrigerator has been around since the Bee Gees were popular, consider a
deep clean and maybe a new countertop. Cabinetry gets expensive in a hurry and a new coat
of paint or stain may bring cabinets back to life for a fraction of the cost.
I wouldn’t renovate a bathroom either, unless the shower has broken tiles or
permanently stained fiberglass. I would consider adding a bathroom to a four bedroom/one
bath house, especially if you can add the bathroom within the existing footprint (i.e., you
don’t have to change any exterior walls). You can likely recoup the cost of that additional
bathroom in the increased selling price. Like I’ve said before, the most important thing you can do to sell your house (once
you get buyers to cross the threshold because of your excellent curb appeal) is to clean and
declutter. If you’ve decluttered well, prospective buyers will be able to imagine their furniture
in your house more easily. You want buyers to easily imagine themselves cooking in the
kitchen, relaxing in the living room, or getting ready for work in the bathroom of this house
tomorrow.
Next time I’ll write about ???. If there’s something you would like me to write about
or if you have questions about real estate or property management, feel free to contact me at
[email protected] or visit our website at www.realtyworldselzer.com. If I use your
suggestion in a column, I’ll send you’re a $5.00 gift card to Schat’s Bakery. If you’d like to
read previous articles, visit my blog at www.richardselzer.com. Dick Selzer is a real estate broker
who has been in the business for more than 35 years.

Each Realty World Office Is Independently Owned and Operated. The information provided herein is supplied by several sources and is subject to change without notice. The owner of this website does not guarantee or is in any way responsible for its accuracy, and provides said information without warr…