Article courtesy of SRES Many factors can influence your decision to sell including downsizing, moving closer to family, or seeking a more manageable living situation. Have you considered selling the home as-is? Selling as-is means putting the property on the market without making any major repairs or improvements—even when they are needed. This approach has both advantages and disadvantages to consider and discuss with your Senior Real Estate Specialist® to help you decide if an as-is sale is right for you. ADVANTAGES 1. Time and Cost Savings: Avoiding costly repairs and upgrades can accelerate the selling process and allow you to move on to the next stage of your life more quickly. 2. Reducing Stress: In situations where the emotional toll of staging or repairing a home is too much to handle, an as-is sale may be for you. Eliminating the need for extensive renovations, financing updates, negotiations over repairs, and dealing with contractor hassles can save you stress and allow you to focus on selling and moving more quickly. 3. Attract Investors and Flippers: Investors and property flippers often look for homes in need of renovations. Selling as-is often attracts these types of buyers, sometimes leading to a quicker sale. Investors and flippers generally expect to handle some repairs and have experience buying homes that are not move-in ready. 4. Transparency: When you are listing a home, you are expected to provide a full disclosure about the condition of the property. Selling the home as-is is a possible solution when you do not have all of the information about the property’s condition. If you inherited a home, or are selling on behalf of a loved one who is unable to provide you with the history of the property, ask your Senior Real Estate Specialist® about selling as-is. Your transparency might build trust with potential buyers, free you from liabilities, and lead to a smoother transaction. Selling a home as-is is a decision that requires careful consideration, especially for individuals 55 and older. The choice has legal, financial, and personal implications, so it is advised that you consult with qualified professionals, including a Senior Real Estate Specialist® DRAWBACKS 1. Lower Sale Price: One of the largest drawbacks of selling a home as-is is that you are likely to sell your property for a significantly lower price. Buyers typically expect a steep discount to cover the costs of necessary repairs and improvements and the additional liability they take on in as-is sales. 2. Limited Buyer Pool: Homes in need of repairs or updates often have reduced market appeal. Selling a home in its current condition will limit the pool of interested buyers. This can result in the property sitting on the market for a longer period, delaying the sale and your ability to move on. Talk with your agent about market conditions in your area to understand if an as-is sale is likely to move fast or take longer to sell. 3. Potential Inspection Issues: Selling as-is does not free the seller from the need to disclose known defects or issues with the property. Buyers are still likely to conduct inspections, and any significant problems discovered can complicate or even derail the sale. Each area is different, so talk with your Senior Real Estate Specialist® and a real estate attorney to find out what your state requires you to disclose and how long buyers have to back out of an as-is sale. Sources: Bankrate. (2023). How To Get the Most Out Of Selling Your House “As-Is.” bankrate.com/real-estate/selling-your-house-as-is/#pros-v-cons Investopedia. (2021). Should You Sell Your Home As Is, or Spring for Renovations? investopedia.com/should-you-sell-your-home-as-is-or-spring-for-renovations-5184172
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By: Stacey Freed
Are you blind to the grime in your home? Admit it: It’s easy to get a little “Judge Judy” inside someone else’s home. We notice gunk on the floor, cobwebs in the corners, and dust on the overhead fan. But guess what? You’ve probably got some gunky places that your friends notice, but you don’t. (Sad trombone.) This is why we tracked down a domestic guru to help us with this article. No matter how hard it is to find dirt hideaways on your own, a little expert advice can make it all OK. Jan M. Dougherty, author of “The Lost Art of House Cleaning: A Clean House Is a Happy Home,” revealed the seven spots you’re likely to miss — and the best ways to make them presentable, stat: #1 Light FixturesLook up. Your light fixtures are loaded with dust and dead bugs. Take the fixtures down, spritz with a cleaning solution, and wipe clean. Dougherty uses a solution of five parts water and one part Krud Kutter, a non-toxic odorless all-purpose product. (Handy tip: When making the Krud Kutter solution, put the water in first. “Otherwise it’ll bubble over,” she says.) #2 Toilet BodyYou probably clean your tank fairly often, but what about all the bits and pieces that surround the tank, and the floor itself? For porcelain thrones, Dougherty recommends Soft Scrub with bleach to clean the minuscule cracks that form in the glaze over time. For any non-porcelain parts, she says vinegar will do. Start with the top of the tank and spray all the way around — the lid, under the lid, the seat, down to and on the surrounding floor, and even the walls behind the toilet. #3 Dust CollectorsThe TV mount, picture frames, computer printer, keyboards, and remotes are mega dust collectors. Use a microfiber rag that you’ve sprayed lightly with vinegar to banish it all. Vinegar isn’t electrostatically charged, so dust will take longer to return to that spot. #4 Drawer OrganizersCrumbs and dirt love those little compartments. Suck them up with a handy vac or spray with vinegar and wipe away with a rag. Don’t wait until the crumbs are three inches deep and have taken root in the drawer. If that’s the case, break the organizer down and clean with the Krud Kutter solution. #5 Ice MakerOld ice absorbs food odors, so it’s a good idea to clean and sanitize the whole system once in a while. Stop the machine from making more ice, pull out the ice bin, and dump the ice. Wash the bin and ice maker with vinegar, or put the bin in the dishwasher if your manual says it’s safe to do so. Wipe the ice maker with a dry rag to remove moisture. #6 Appliance HandlesYou touch them so many times every day. And you never think about it. Spray them all down with the Krud Kutter mix and then wipe. “One night a week, I take the knobs off the stove, remove the dish and the grease screen from the [over-the-range] microwave, and take the bowl with utensils that sits next to my stove and put them all in the dishwasher,” Dougherty says. “Do this before bed and by the morning you’ve cleaned half your kitchen, yet touched nothing.” #7 Glass and MirrorsDougherty washes dull, smudged glass and mirrors with straight vinegar. Be aware that if you’ve been using commercial cleaners it may take “four, five, six, maybe seven cleanings with vinegar to get all the wax off the glass,” she says. Bonus tip: “When you go into a room to clean you shouldn’t have to think. You should be able to turn up the music and rock and roll your way around the room,” Dougherty says. She uses a method she calls “The Path.” Start in one corner, move around the perimeter, then head to the middle. Clean everything in your path as you go around the room. There are many apps that can be useful for seniors and just about anyone else to address their safety concerns.
Please note: these apps are not endorsed by this website and/or by any parties involved. Do your due diligence to ensure the app you choose is best for you. Here are three popular apps that do the job: bSafe Cost: Free A personal safety app in which users create a social safety network of people who are notified in the event of an emergency or where users feel unsafe. Life360 Cost: Free A popular app amongst families, Life360 offers advanced driving and location safety features and location sharing for everyone involved in a created group. This app works in real time. Lifeline Response Cost: Free trial for 14 days This app aims to combat the problem of a 911 operator not knowing what a callers exact location is when dialing the emergency number. When a user enables the app, it begins notifying the proper authorities the moment your finger leaves the phone. If a user does not input the disarm code, the authorities still make a visit to your exact location. While there are many other apps available to make safety a priority, this is a great place to start. Physical and emotional exhaustion, stress, a lack of personal time, financial strain, and sleep deprivation. These are some of the challenges caregivers can face every day.
It’s no wonder they experience burnout. An infographic (https://bit.ly/3S7GrFg) by Bancroft, a Cherry hill, N.J.-based nonprofit that provides services, programs, and support for adults with autism and intellectual and developmental disabilities, helps you identify and prevent burnout. Here are 8 signs that you’re on the way to burning out and might need a break.
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AuthorJason Gelios, SRES-Senior Real Estate Specialist, Author, Public Speaker, and Expert Media Contributor of real estate expertise across the globe. Archives
March 2024
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