Three Simple Tips for Home Decorating Success

Even if it’s your dream to have an elegant, classy home, it’s easy to get overwhelmed looking at picture-perfect homes on Pinterest or in magazines. If you want to redecorate your home but don’t know where to start, here are three simple tips for successful decorating:

1. Start Neutral, Then Slowly Add In Colors and Patterns

Beginning with a neutral color palette creates a more sophisticated space right from the start and allows room for growth. Choose a bright neutral shade such as white, cream, or light gray for the walls, then build the room around it. Select bolder colors carefully and reserve them for statement pieces such as large artwork or a sofa; this will make the room pop without overwhelming the space.

2. Choose Statement Artwork and High, Wide Curtains to Make a Room Look Larger

There is a common misconception that smaller artwork and window treatments will make a small room look larger. While it may seem contrary to nature, the opposite is true. A single focal piece of artwork fills the room, making it appear larger, while a cluttered gallery wall actually makes the room look smaller. The same principle applies to curtains. Choose curtain panels larger than the windows they’re covering and hang them higher.

3. Choose Well-Proportioned Rugs

A rug is a pricey upgrade; however, it’s a worthwhile investment that will boost the aesthetic of your home, and with the proper care it can stick around for many years. Instead of guessing what size rug will work best in a given space, use painter’s tape to map out potential rug dimensions in the room. When you’re happy with the placement, measure the tape. Once you know what size will work best, you’ll be motivated to find the right rug in the right size and resist the urge to size down a few feet to save some money. Bringing a sophisticated touch to your home takes time and often a bit of trial and error. Gather lots of paint samples and test them on small sections of different walls to determine which colors will work best in which room. If you aren’t happy with a rug or piece of art in the living room, try it in the entryway or a bedroom instead. Making a couple of switches can create a significant difference in the overall aesthetic.
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Mary Platt

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Mary@PlattTeamAZ.com

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Five Reasons to Get a Professional’s Advice When Selling Your Home

If you’re thinking of placing your home on the market and selling it yourself to save money, you could be setting yourself up for frustration and financial loss. Here are some compelling reasons why DIY is best left to home improvements when it’s time to sell your house:

1. Pricing Your House Correctly

One of the most important real estate listing strategies is pricing your home according to an accurate

comparative market analysis or a CMA. Professional listing agents know which recently sold homes to include in your CMA and which ones to exclude. They have access to the freshest data and the insight to select the variables most relevant to your property.

2. Getting More Qualified Customers to View Your Property

Getting foot traffic—that’s what’s important in selling your home. When you have a higher quantity of prequalified buyers showing up at your open house and buyers’ agents showing their clients your property, you’ll have a higher chance of entertaining competitive bids.

3. Choosing the Best Offer

When those offers do come in, do you know which one deserves top ranking? Are you skilled in working with agents to motivate buyers to make a competitive deal? Some offers look brilliant at face value when the true “contender” might not measure up to the untrained eye. When you contract with a professional listing agent, you’ve got experience on your side.

4. Facing the Challenges of Closing

You’ve accepted an offer and are in the inspection process. Your buyer has come to you with requests for repairs. When do you push back, and when do you comply? Your real estate professional will work with their counterpart to make sure the deal gets done to everyone’s satisfaction and without robbing you of your potential profits at closing time.

5. Selling Your House for the Highest Price

The 2016 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, a study done by the National Association of Realtors, found that sellers who used a real estate agent sold their homes on average at $60,000 higher than owners who didn’t have the help of a professional agent. That’s a lot of money, especially when you consider the effort and resources a listing agent saves homeowners when they represent your listing.

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Mary@PlattTeamAZ.com

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Check These Fall Maintenance Items Off Your To-Do List

Now that summer is gone and fall is here, it’s time to start your autumn to-do list. Here are some great fall projects:

Plant Beautiful Fall Blooms

Late summer and early autumn are perfect times to plant late-blooming flowers. Whether you accent

your front porch with hanging baskets or line your front walkway with colorful blooms, you can

enjoy gardening well into the fall season. 

Improve Your Outdoor Lighting

Autumn means longer nights and shorter days and is an ideal time for a lighting upgrade. If you have been meaning to add a spotlight above the front door, or if you long for a stone pathway lined with low-maintenance solar lights, fall is the perfect time to complete these projects.

Touch Up Your Exterior Paint

You do not have to repaint your home’s exterior to give your property the protection it needs. Just check for peeling and chipping paint and do your own small touch-ups. A few timely touch-ups now will protect your home and extend the life of the original paint job.

Clean Out Your Gutters

Debris can collect in gutters, which keeps rainwater from drain- ing properly. Once the water backs up, it can run onto the roof and down the siding, causing damage to the home. Clearing the gutters and redirecting water downspout extensions so water drains at least three to four feet away from the foundation can keep these things from happening. If you don’t feel comfortable on a tall ladder, you can hire a professional to clean and check the gutters.

Turn Your Ceiling Fans to Run Clockwise

In the summer, your ceiling fans are such a wonderful way to help keep your home cool. But did you know ceiling fans are also a great way to enjoy warmer air when the days get cooler? Run- ning your ceiling fans clockwise creates an updraft while simultaneously pushing down warm air from the ceiling.

Swap Out Your Furnace Filter

Fall is the perfect time to give your heating system a tune-up, and changing out the filters is a good place to start. You may also want to schedule a professional inspection and cleaning to keep your furnace running at peak efficiency all season long.

Clues in the Attic: Fall Roof Checkups Made Easy

"Roofs actually create an insulated barrier that helps trap heat inside, and most attic spaces are located right below them,” says Jason Joplin, program manager of the Center for the Advancement of Roofing Excellence, “That makes them perfect for spotting potential problem areas and damage without worrying about falling off a ladder."

Here’s What to Look for While up in the Attic:

• Water Leaks: After a rainstorm, shine a flashlight into the attic to check not only for dripping water and condensation but also for water stains on the ceiling, walls, and floors. All signal that H2O is finding its way beneath your roof’s shingles or behind its flashings.

• Ventilation: “Think of the attic as the lungs of the house,” advises Joplin. “It has to be able to breathe in order to function properly.” Which is to say, vents stuffed with debris need to be cleared.

• Animal Damage: Call a pest-control pro if you spot any of these telltale signs: nests, droppings, and gnawed wood, wires, or insulations. 

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Mary Platt

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(602) 618-6764

Mary@PlattTeamAZ.com

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Three Reasons Now Is a Great Time to List Your Home for Sale

Housing market conditions are challenging for buyers in many parts of the country; sellers, meanwhile, are finding the market favorable. Inventory levels are low and sales prices are high. In some markets, multiple offers have become prevalent. And in a blow to first-time buyers everywhere, fewer affordable homes are coming onto the market. Despite all this, existing-home sales climbed in the month of May; every region except the Midwest posted month-over-month and year-over-year sales increases.

1. Low Inventory

According to Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of Realtors (NAR), “Current demand levels indicate sales should be stronger, but it’s clear some would-be buyers are having to delay or postpone their home search because low supply is leading to worsening affordability conditions.” In May, 1.96 million existing homes were available for sale, an inventory increase of 2.1 percent from a month earlier. However, for the past 24 months, inventory has fallen year over year, and May was no exception: inventory was 8.4 percent lower than last year. At the current sales pace, the current housing stock could last only 4.2 months, down from 4.7 months a year ago.

2. Selling Quickly

Due to the inventory shortages, homes are not sitting on the market for long. In May, the time it took for a home to go from listed to sold was on average 27 days. This is the shortest time frame recorded since NAR began tracking the number of days on the market in May 2011. Of all the homes sold in May, 55 percent were on the market for less than 30 days, another all-time-high record.

3. Prices Up

With high demand and low inventory, home prices climbed to a record-breaking high. In May, the median existing-home price reached $252,800, a 5.8 percent increase from a year ago. This is the highest recorded median sales price, overtaking June 2016’s peak of $247,600. What’s more, this is the 63rd month in a row of year-over-year sales gains. According to Yun, “Home prices keep chugging along at a pace that is not sustainable in the long run.” Unless the market sees an increase in the number of listings in the affordable price range, housing affordability may be affected. 
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Mary Platt • Designated Broker

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Planning for Solar? Follow These Steps

Residential solar panel installations are on the rise in the United States—according to the US Department of Energy, more than one million American homes have had solar panels installed as of May 2016. However, utilizing solar energy for your home only makes financial sense if the panels can generate electricity for less than what you are paying your utility company. That means that while living in a sunny location is key, your state’s utility costs are also a factor. Before you schedule a solar installation assessment, answer these basic questions to help you determine if solar is a good fit for your home:

• Does your roof have unobstructed, clear access to sunlight for most of every day?
• Is there ample roof space or an area large enough to mount the system? 

• Is the investment worth it?
• Can you meet requirements for local permits?

Selecting the Right System

Evaluate your energy consumption patterns before selecting your solar system components, so you can choose the appropriate photovocaic (PV) system size for your home, and help reduce your overall electrical use. Begin by performing a load analysis, which should include:

• Recognizing your current consumption trends
• Examining your utility bills for the past year
• Calculating your energy consumption

A Grid-Connected or Stand-Alone System?

A grid-connected PV system uses power from your utility’s grid when it does not produce enough energy. When your system produces excess electricity, your utility provider is required to buy it. With net metering, your provider pays retail price for excess power that you send back through the grid.

Choose a stand-alone PV system if:
• You live in a remote location and it would be more cost-effective.
• You are planning to install a hybrid electric system that also uses a small wind electric system.
• You have minimal power needs.

Before purchasing a system, research city or county permit requirements. These will include an electrical permit, building permit, or both. Most PV providers will roll the permit prices into the complete system price.

For more information about solar installation in your community, contact the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners to locate a certified solar installation professional. 
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Mary@PlattTeamAZ.com

What's Up With Mortgage Rates?

Mortgage rates nationwide are starting to rise after several years of record-low rates. What does this mean for home buyers and sellers? Here are a few points to consider:

The Real Estate Market Remains Strong

Real estate remains an excellent investment, and real estate markets across the country are consistently strong. In many local markets there is high demand but low inventory, and buyers are quickly snapping up homes despite rising rates. While buyers may have plenty of competition, it also means they can feel confident in their real estate investment, especially when buying in a part of the country where housing is in demand.

Mortgage Rates Are Still Affordable, Historically Speaking

While current rates are higher than they were at this time last year, they’re still considered quite affordable from a historical perspective. Rates are expected to remain under 5 percent for the foreseeable future, as they have been for the past ten years. Compare today’s average mortgage rates to the average rate of 5.67 percent in 1996, or the whopping 10.13 percent average in 1990, and you can easily see that current and projected rates are still quite affordable by most objective standards.

Rates Are Expected to Rise in 2017

Most experts expect that rates will either rise slightly in 2017 or fluctuate slightly over the course of the year. Many experts think mortgage rate averages in 2017 will hit the 4.5 percent mark, with some predicting average rates inching up closer to 5 percent. If you plan to buy a home later in the year, you may want to keep these ballpark estimates in mind when figuring out your home budget. And remember these are just guesstimates; nothing is set in stone.

Buyers Can Still Get Great Rates

Although mortgage rates are rising, it’s still possible for individual buyers to negotiate and find lower rates. This sometimes involves “buying down” your mortgage, which means paying additional money upfront to take points off your mortgage rate. The general idea is to pay more money now to save money on your mortgage over time. This can make a lot of sense if you have extra cash on hand and plan to hold on to your home for a long time. Keep in mind that if mortgage rates go down in the future, you can always refinance your loan to get a lower rate and reduce your payments or get more favorable loan terms. 
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Strong Home Sales in 2016, but a Lack of Inventory in 2017

Despite affordability issues and low inventory, 2016 had the best existing-home sales in a decade. At 5.45 million sales, existing-home sales haven't set a pace this fast since 2006, when sales reached 6.48 million; in comparison, sales in 2015 topped out at 5.25 million. According to Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of Realtors (NAR), "Solid job creation throughout 2016 and exceptionally low mortgage rates translated into a good year for the housing market."

In Demand, but Low Supply
Sales in the last month of the year were soft. Existing-home sales fell in December to 5.49 million, dropping 2.8 percent, but sales were still 0.7 percent higher than a year earlier. Low inventory combined with high mortgage rates and home prices took their toll on December's sales. Inventory in the last month of the year fell by 10.8 percent to 1.65 million existing-homes available for sale; at the current sales pace, this is enough inventory to last only 3.6 months. A year ago, supply levels would have lasted 3.9 months. This is the 19th month inventory has fallen year over year. What's more, this is the lowest inventory level recorded since NAR began tracking the housing supply in 1999. Unfortunately, housing construction is still stuck at recessionary levels. Unless more is done to address regulatory issues, new home construction will not be able to address the demand that will arise from current population and economic growth trends. As a result, housing affordability for both buyers and renters will continue to be a concern.

What You Don't Know Can Cost You
Many home buyers are in the dark when it comes to down payments. NAR's Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers recently asked non-owners how much of a down payment was needed to purchase a home. A surprising 87 percent believed more than 10 percent of the purchase price was needed; in reality, down payments for first-time buyers have come in at 6 percent for the past three years. Repeat buyers typically have a down payment of 14 percent. This disconnect between the actual down payment required and the amount buyers think they need may lead to a lack of confidence among first-time buyers. "There are mortgage options available for creditworthy borrowers with manageable levels of debt and smaller down payments," according to William E. Brown, president of NAR. This is good news for the 87 percent of non-homeowners who would one day like to buy their own home. While low inventory and high home prices have made home buying a challenging goal, it's not as far out of reach as first-time buyers believe.

Regional Breakdown

Northeast - Existing-home sales annual rate of 760,000; a decrease of 6.2 percent from November but an increase of 2.7 percent from December 2015.

Midwest - Existing-home sales annual rate of 1.28 million; a decrease of 3.8 percent from November but an increase of 2.4 percent from December 2015.

South - Existing-home sales annual rate of 2.25 million; while unchanged from November, it is an increase of 0.4 percent from December 2015.

West - Existing-home sales annual rate of 1.2 million; a decrease of 4.8 percent from November but an increase of 1.6 percent from December 2015.

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Why Is Location So Important in Real Estate?

Why Is LocationSo Important in Real Estate?

Location should be your first consideration when purchasing a new home. And your second. And your third. The reasoning behind this advice is simple: In some locations, homes are desir- able. In other areas, they are not. Desirable homes receive a higher demand from potential home buyers, which means you should be able to sell your property quickly. And since high demand pushes up prices, you should also be able to sell it at a good price.

Why Choose the Best Location over the Biggest House?

What is it about location that makes it so vital to your real estate selection? Put simply: it’s the one variable that is out of your control. The layout, condition, and amenities of any home can be changed with a little money and imagination. You can even change the size of your house with the right permissions. The one thing you can’t change? The property’s location. This is why real estate agents advise their clients to buy the worst house on the best street̶you can always add value later by fixing up the property. In the meantime, you get all the community and resale benefits of a premium location.

Location Affects Quality of Life

Location is important because “home” is more than just the physical structure where you eat and sleep. The neighborhood and surrounding community have a big impact on your quality of life. For example, most people have to work, but if there are no major employers in the area, or if the public transportation is lacking, getting to work will be unnecessarily hard. You might find bargains in these areas, but the trade-off is time spent on your daily commute. For most people, time is a priceless commodity for which they are willing to pay, so a more expensive property closer to work is preferable.

Access to Jobs, Schools, and Entertainment

Well-located properties typically have good transportation infra- structure and are located near a concentration of jobs. Other sought-after attributes include a top-rated school district, low crime, and access to shops, restaurants, and entertainment. When you buy a home in a location with these features, it’s usually a solid long- term investment. A premium location is always more expensive, so for tight budgets some form of compromise is inevitable. The advice remains the same, though: always buy in the best location you can afford.

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4 Reasons to Sell Your Home During the Holidays

1) Motivated Buyers – Those who take the time to look during the busy holidays are
more likely to be serious buyers!

2) Less Competition – With less homes on
the market during the holidays, the serious
buyers have fewer homes to choose from.

3) Homes Show Better Decorated – What
a great way to capitalize on how cozy and
inviting your home looks when decorated
for the holidays.

4) Winter Visitors and Snowbirds – People
visiting the Valley could be a sale for you.

5 Smart Upgrades for the Most-used Rooms in your Home

Courtesy of Brandpoint

Kitchens, bathrooms and bedrooms are typically the rooms in any home that get the most use, which could also be why homeowners, when surveyed, consistently cite those rooms as the ones they most want to renovate. It makes perfect sense to upgrade the rooms where you spend the most time, but in high-traffic areas, you can't afford to make changes just for the sake of cosmetics. You want improvements that can enhance your enjoyment of a room and its functionality.

Here are five smart improvement ideas from Velux America:

1. Add organization/storage
Clutter and chaos not only make a room function less efficiently, it can impact your mood as well. Adding organization and storage to rooms where clutter typically collects - such as bedrooms, living rooms and game rooms - is an easy, cost-effective way to improve the function of the room and how you feel about spending time in it.

In bedrooms, maximize closet space by installing organization units. A variety of manufacturers offer ready-made units you can install yourself. Or, for a bit more investment, you can have a professional closet organizer custom-make a unit to fit your space and needs. In living rooms and game rooms, built-in shelving and cabinetry is a functional and beautiful way to improve organization.

2. Improve ventilation
Air flow is critical to the health of your home and everyone who lives in it. Ventilation in kitchens and bathrooms carries away excess moisture that can cause mold and mildew, and creates a fresher, more healthful environment by exhausting stale indoor air.

Bathrooms should be equipped with exhaust fans, and kitchen hoods should vent to the exterior of your home whenever possible.

3. Replace older, inefficient fixtures and appliances
Fixtures and appliances are key elements of kitchens and bathrooms. Older ones not only look dated and shabby, they can cost you money because they use more electricity and water than newer, more efficient models.

Replacing old faucets, shower heads, dishwashers and washing machines with newer models that use less water can reduce your water bill and give kitchens and bathrooms a whole new look. Energy Star-qualified appliances such as stoves, clothes dryers, refrigerators and washers also use less electricity than older appliances, so you can also lower your energy bills.

4. Freshen the foundations
Every room benefits from a good foundation, and that doesn't just mean sturdy flooring. Wall color, flooring materials and trim are fundamental elements in any room. Simply repainting walls and woodwork can completely change the way any room looks. Or, if you like the colors you have, a fresh coat in the same color will make the room look brighter and newer. Replacing worn carpeting or dated tiles, or refinishing a hardwood floor are also great ways to improve the foundations of any room.

5. Add natural light
Most rooms in the home look better and are more functional in natural light, and more daylight can help reduce the need for artificial light. What's more, there's no arguing the positive mental and physical health effects of natural light. Daylight stimulates the body to produce Vitamin D and boosts brain levels of serotonin, which is thought to be associated with positive moods.

Adding skylights is a practical, cost-effective and attractive way to bring more natural light into virtually any room. Remote-controlled, solar-powered fresh-air skylights from Velux America provide not just natural light, but passive ventilation, a real plus in kitchens and baths.

In kitchens, Energy Star-qualified fresh air skylights increase natural light and ventilation without requiring any loss of wall space you could better use for cabinetry. In bathrooms, they provide the perfect combination of privacy and healthful natural light and ventilation.

Visit www.whyskylights.com to learn more.

Build Your Dream Home With Representation

Silver Alliance Realty

*Per builders’ rules, we as your REALTORS® must be present with you on your first visit to a new home site.

5 Reasons to be Represented in your New Home Purchase:

1) Buyer Representation by a skilled Buyer’s Agent is FREE to the buyer. Take advantage of it!

2) Builders will not give discounts to an unrepresented buyer.  Commissions by builders to real estate brokers are contracted and will not change.

3) The site agent is legally bound to represent the best interests of the Builder, NOT the Home Buyer. This period of non-representation is from date of written contract to date of move in.

4) Experienced Buyer’s Agent can and will negotiate in the best interests of their Home Buyer right up to the close of escrow.

5) Experienced Buyer’s Agent will be there for their clients at the Home Design Center and all Final Inspections to be sure all items go smoothly.

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Don't Be Fooled by the "We Buy Houses" Sales Pitch

The latest sales gimmick in real estate is a letter that homeowners are receiving in the mail from some real estate agents promising to buy their home in “as is” condition, for cash, with a fast close, and with no costs. While this offer sounds like it is too good to be true; it probably is!

The fine print of the offer probably has the following items/restrictions/exceptions included:

• Offers are typically below “fair market value”. These are ‘for profit’ companies – their profits, not the homeowner’s profits.
• Some offers have a “no commission” sale, but they do charge a ‘paperwork fee’ which could be more than the standard market commission.
• The original price offer may get drastically reduced after the home inspection is done to account for any problems their home may have. What a homeowner was first promised as a sales price may get slashed somewhere along the process.
• Remember that these agents who offer to “buy your home” are representing themselves in this transaction; Not You, the seller. This may create a conflict of interest and may result in the homeowner being taken advantage of.

Remember to protect yourself by talking with a licensed REALTOR® who will represent you and watch out for your best interests. These deals could help someone who needs money quickly from the sale of their home. But for the majority of homeowners, selling their home in the traditional way with a licensed REALTOR® may give them the highest sales price for their home.

For Professional and Quality service call Mary Platt TODAY! Furthermore, to get an idea of what homes are selling for in your area visit www.SilverAllianceAZHomeSearch.com. Also, stay connected by following us on Facebook www.Facebook.com/Platt.Team.AZ