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Poop is valuable! It’s a huge part of life. To you future sellers out there: I don’t know what you did over the weekend, but I spread compost in my garden and manure mulched my orchard. It made me feel so alive! Who knew? Not only is mulch magical food for the soul and for crops but fresh mulch is cheap, and it really boosts your curb appeal. The other thing that can give the illusion— excuse me, give "verification"—of a well-maintained home is edging. Don’t get lazy on the clean lines when you’re selling your home. It’s the outdoor equivalent o f freshly painted trim. Buyers may not say, "Wow! Look at those lawn edges”; but they will say, "This home has been well-maintained," even though they won’t be able to put their finger on exactly why they think so. Now, even in this insane market, where you don’t need to tackle deferred maintenance projects to make a hefty sum, selling your home “as-is/where-is” may not necessarily be to your highest advantage. Speaking of poop-related improvements—have you thought about that third bathroom? Call me (720-600-9332) to help you crunch the numbers on this one. Depending on your layout, that five to ten thousand dollar bathroom addition could increase your resale value by up to $22K in this market, and it will really increase buyer appeal. Decent bathroom fixtures are inexpensive; and if a corner of your home isn’t hard plumbed but has space enough for even a small half bath, there are modern solutions like ejection pits that contain a $1K to $2K grinder that pumps waste to the main. With a five-person family trying to sleep and poop under one roof, this bonus crapper is a total game-changer and will increase your proceeds. That’s the scoop on poop from me! Let my tenacity move you! Whether you’re looking for Longmont houses for sale or for a Longmont, CO Realtor to list your home, Sarah Morrow will work tirelessly to help you through the process. And if you’d like more information on market trends and Real Estate check out my monthly Vlog, subscribe to my YouTube channel, or read my Real Estate blog with posts like Pulling a Building Permit is Simpler Than You May Think! and Perks of Home Ownership.

Early April reminds me of my nana, NanaBev. She had an extensive hat collection and she made it a point to always have a great one on when attending Bluegrass festivals and Easter Sunday services. I was fortunate to be the beneficiary of the bulk of her collection when she passed, and you best believe I plan to attend church wearing a NanaBev Easter hat as soon as I can! NanaBev used to encourage me to hunt, seek out and find. She was an explorer and we come from a long line of hunters. I make this point because of the times that we’re in. We’re all seeking and hunting. We’re trying to find money, property and security. We’re starving for inventory in our current market. We’re seeing offers at $50K, $70K, $100K over asking and we’re looking for both logic behind and relief from this madness! Now, as a buyer running around town like a headless chicken, you’ve been on an advanced egg hunt. As a seller, you’re thinking, well I’d love to make top dollar for this golden egg of a house I have, but where would I move!? There’s nothing to buy! Regardless of whether you’re the chicken or the egg, isn’t having a surplus of $100,000 worth the trouble? Wouldn’t proceeds like that make your offer, when you buy, that much stronger? Would $100,000 in fast equity make a difference in how you would buy? Would you choose to rent short-term, crash with a friend or live in a hotel for a couple months if it meant a $100,000 paycheck? I would! We have to be willing to face the morning fog and get a little uncomfortable but a lot more knowledgeable. Considering selling? Be Bugs Bunny; cunning, confident and savvy enough to thrive--well, at least always survive. You’ll need to change hats when you play the other side as the foolish Fudd buyer, but he really keeps his eyes on the prize: equity! Unlike the Looney Tunes hunting arrangement where Fudd finds his reward but reaps no bennies (or bunnies), the current “seller’s market” is actually mutually beneficial. The only thing that’s hindering your reward is finding that next home, but once we find it- $25K in instant equity! Sellers are making bank, but buyers are making more just for buying in the first place. Even foolish hunters are being handsomely rewarded. If equity is a priority, but you’re having a tough time adjusting to the many hats you need to wear in your hunt for it, make me your hunting buddy! My expertise (with hats, hunting and Realty!) translates to your success. Let my tenacity move you! If you are looking to buy or sell houses in Longmont, CO, I’m the Longmont Realtor for you. Contact me, Sarah Morrow, today! And for more on everything Longmont homes, be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel where you can find Episodes of Proper-Tea Time like, Pulling a Building Permit in Longmont (get credit for your hard work!), and more on Longmont Real Estate. While you’re here, take a look at my other blogs Why Longmont? and The Two Forces Driving the Longmont Real Estate Market.

The idea of getting financing for a home seems overwhelming. But don’t worry, it really isn’t! If you plan to buy a home, you’ll need to gather financial documents to prequalify or qualify for a home loan. Loaning money requires some paperwork and documentation, so this post walks you through what you’ll need to gather so you can get prequalified! As always, I’m a resource to help you through this process, so give us a call at 720-600-9332 if you have any questions. Check Your Credit Report A good first step is to check your credit report. You can get a free credit report every year from annualcreditreport.com. It pulls info from the three major credit bureaus and provides your credit score (the higher the score, the lower your mortgage loan rate). Even if you’re not buying a home, it’s good to check this regularly because you can monitor items on your report and dispute any errors. Some mortgage loans have minimum credit score requirements. Get Prequalified Getting prequalified allows you to know how much a lender will give you for a home. This info allows you to look for homes in your budget. Depending on the market, a prequalification or preapproval might be good to do before you browse potential homes. Preapproval takes prequalification one step further because the lender verifies your financial documents in advance (W2s, paystubs, bank statements, tax documents, debt to income ratio, etc.). More details about these documents in a moment! Requirements and Needed Financial Documents Depending on the type of mortgage loan, you’ll need to evaluate your financial situation: Tax returns: Lenders usually like to see one or two years’ worth of tax returns. They want to make sure your annual income matches your reported earnings through pay stubs. They’re also making sure there aren’t huge fluctuations from year to year. Employment. Lenders typically require proof of steady income, focusing on the past two years of employment history. If you’re self-employed, you’ll provide personal and business federal tax returns. Pay stubs, W-2s or other proof of current income: You’ll likely need to provide a few months of paystubs. You’ll also need proof of other sources of income, such as contract work (1099) or child support (divorce decree). Bank statements and other assets: Lenders want to see direct deposit proof as well as investment assets and life insurance. Your bank statement also shows your account balances. Lenders like to see that you have enough for a down payment and it doesn’t magically appear right before closing. Credit history: As noted earlier, credit history is part of your financial health. Lenders want to see if you make payments on time and have any blemishes. Gift letters: If family or friends will help with your down payment, you’ll need to get letters from them to say the money is a gift and not a loan. Photo ID: An ID proves your identity. Renting history: If you’re buying your first home, the lender might want to see proof that you paid your rent on time in the past. Debt-to-income ratio: Your DTI ratio (DTI) ratio is measured by dividing your total debt by your gross income. Lenders have preferences on the percentages. For example, some conventional lenders prefer a DTI of 45% or less, but may raise it to 50% with higher credit scores and additional mortgage reserves (money in the bank). Interested in a Mortgage? I’ll work with you to find a great lender and can help find your dream home! There are plenty of houses for sale in Longmont and the surrounding areas. I’m an expert Longmont realtor who you can rely on to get you into your perfect home.