Well, another year is upon us and its time to sum up where the home building trends are headed for 2009.

Smaller is Better

The McMansion has seen its day and homes are getting smaller and more multifunctional. In fact, some homes are getting downright tiny.

More Storage

Don’t think of the walk-in closets of the past, but imagine compact storage areas where every inch is used and thoughtfully considered. Basements and attics will become more important.

Outdoor Living

As the green movement builds, spending more time outside is becoming fashionable. Look for green space at home that can be converted into functional living space.

?
Green Features

Speaking of the green movement, home builders and home owners are looking to incorporate more environmentally friendly aspect into their homes.

Priority Technology

It would be hard to ignore the importance of technology in our everyday lives, so homes are taking that into consideration and adding computer areas and home offices, dedicated electrical wiring, built-in speakers, nanny cams, security systems and other technological conveniences.

Kitchen Companions

No longer trying to ignore the importance of the kitchen, home builders and decorators in 2009 are focusing on the kitchen as the center of activity at home and formal dining rooms and living rooms are becoming secondary if not tertiary.

If you’re building in 2009 use these trends to keep your house up to date, no one wants a new house that looks outdated. If you’ve got a home, but you’re looking to update it focus on the tips above to make it more functional and a trendsetter.

You’ve tried everything from stripping the house of all personal touches, baking cookies at open houses, improving your curb appeal and yet you just can’t seem to get the house to sell without drastically lowering the price. There is still one step you can take that may make your home more attractive to prospective buyers and get you that coveted sale.

The first step is discovering what parts of your home need repair and then ranking them in order of most important or most appealing to others to least valuable. ?If you have a realtor working for you they should be able to tell you what buyers are most interested in. If you don’t have a realtor, ask your friends to come in and give you an honest opinion of what mattes most to them.

Repairing electrical and plumbing is an expensive venture but may be worth it in the end. This is a repair that can scare off prospective buyers and cost you the sale.

Obvious broken items should be fixed as well, like doors that hang askew, missing drawer pulls, broken switch plates, et cetera.

You should also take the time to have home fix jobs professionally repaired or repair them yourself correctly.

If there is an expensive repair that you don’t want to take the time to fix, consider giving a buyer a certain amount of money to be used towards this repair. This may be all the encouragement they need to jump on the deal.

Some people love to do things themselves, other just like to have someone else show them the way or to take care of the difficult parts. Home purchases work just the same way, some people want to sell their home themselves because they know more about it than anyone else and they’ll save money in the process, and others want to hire a realtor to handle all of it so they don’t have to mess with the details.

If you’ve found the perfect home and it’s for sale by owner you can hire a realtor or you can actually do like the home seller and manage most of the transaction by yourself. Although, if this is the route you’re going it is a very smart idea to hire an attorney, preferably one who specializes in real estate law, to help you wade through the paperwork and contracts so you are protecting your best interests.

Much of the process is the same if you’re buying a home through a realtor or an individual who is selling their own home, you want to make sure you know what the going rate is in the neighborhood, the home’s features and faults, learn about the neighborhood and hire a home inspector. Make sure that when you hire an inspector or any other professional to help you with the home purchase that you do not go with the current home owner’s recommendations as their main priority is selling their property, not making sure you’re making a sound investment.

Finally, have your real estate attorney review all of the paperwork to make sure everything is legitimate and fair.

Buying a home that is listed FSBO or For Sale by Owner can be a very easy and amicable process that can actually go more quickly than a traditional sale with realtors involved, and you’ll both be saving money by avoiding costly realtor commissions.

Money Magazine has come out with their list of the top 100 places to live in 2008 and topping the list this year, another Midwest city, Plymouth, Minnesota.? Money says it’s the topnotch schools, good jobs, affordable housing, low crime and the active culture that combine together to make Plymouth one of the best cities around.

The people of Plymouth have spoken up and, of course, they agree with Money Magazine’s assessment. Most of the residents on the city’s official website mention the parks as the reason this city is so dear to them. And rightfully so, the city prides itself on the extensive park system and 80 miles trails. There are community playfields, large multi-purpose areas, city parks, small neighborhood parks and even a skate park.

Another comment a lot of residents make is that the town is very safe, part of this may have to do with the strict rules at city parks and other public areas. No motorized vehicles are allowed in parks, neither is alcohol or smoking. Neighborhood parks close at 10pm and all pets must be on a leash. It may seem a little restrictive but it is one of the reasons everyone feels comfortable in the parks and the city of Plymouth. ?To see which other cities have ranked highly on the annual poll, check Money Magazine’s article.

It happens time and time again, people buy a home because they love certain aspects, but once they move in the discover aspects they don’t love at all. The biggest complaint, one I suffer from myself, is the neighbors aren’t all you had hoped for.

For some people the problem is the neighbors are too strict and there is a rule book governing just about everything for your subdivision. This is a new occurrence but it’s become quite common. From not being able to hang your laundry on the line to regulations on your landscaping. Unless you’re willing to begin an organization or head the subdivision group that is in place, there isn’t much you can do to change these laws. And even then it’s going to be an uphill battle to get the support you need. Your best bet was reading all of the information before you made the purchase.

For me the problem was a bit different, our local government is trying to clean up a high crime area of town by simply moving the problem residents into a different area, unfortunately it’s the area where I live. To combat this the neighbors have banned together and improved lighting, hired a private security firm, spoken regularly with local police, we’re extra vigilant and there are regular community walks in the evening hours. Again, not much else can be done as we cannot force tenants to leave.

The one thing people in both situations could have done to mitigate this problem before the home was purchased was spending a little time in the area during all hours of the day, early morning, after school, and the evening hours. This way you’d get a better feel for how the neighborhood acts on a regular basis. And while you’re there, stop and chat with a few potential neighbors. Most people will welcome the chance to tell you about where they live if you explain that you’re considering a home purchase in their neighborhood.

With housing prices dropping there are a lot more real estate deals to be had out there and people who are in a good financial and professional position may be tempted to leap at these great deals. The problem - if they already own a home they may find that they’re property value has dropped and selling just isn’t going to rake in the money they wanted. Some of you may in fact find that you’re actually upside down on your mortgage. (more…)

The first time you meet with a realtor can be nerve wracking, especially if you’ve never sold or purchased a home before. ?Don’t feel pressured or intimidated by the first realtor you meet with our by the family friend who works in the business. You need to find a realtor who is wiling to work for you, one you understands you, and someone you feel comfortable with and you trust. Feel free to shop around a little until you get the right fit, just make sure you don’t sign any contracts until you’ve decided who you will ultimately work with. (more…)

If you’re thinking about selling your home, or even renting it, then you need to give at least a little thought to how your home looks to prospective buyers and renters, but buyers more so than renters. What is the first thing people see when they walk into your property?

If you are still living in the home or you have tenants in the home the most important thing is to have the place looking clean. If you have tenants there really isn’t much you can do except let them know in advance when showings are and ask them to tidy up. If it’s your home then you need to declutter everywhere. Take out everything you do not use daily and put it in storage.

The next thing is to tackle big sore spots. Is the paint bad? If it’s a rental let the possible tenant know you’ll be repainting. If it’s your home spend the money and repaint. Other obvious problems should be handled in the same way.

If things don’t seem to be going well for you, have your most blunt and honest friend take a walk through and give you an assessment of the property. When you’re closely connected to a place its hard to see its warts, someone who has some distance can point them out for you.