JUNE 28, 2017 • Volume 12 • Issue 26
RE WEEKLY RESIDENTIAL • ACREAGE • FARM • COMMERCIAL • AREA DEVELOPMENT 515-233-3299 • 317 5th Street, Ames • All REALTOR® ads within are REALTORS® licensed in the State of Iowa
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Realtors, do you want to reach a wider group of potential buyers? Advertise in the RE Weekly. In print and online.
Call Ali Eernisse 515-663-5956
DEAR MONTY
Agent’s home pricing is confusing
RICHARD MONTGOMERY
R
eader question: Our agent’s home pricing is confusing. The area we live developed with colonial style homes that all look the same. Our home is a craftsman style home that is custom-built. We built our home with branded concrete
siding, expensive composite decking, and custom maple cabinets with builtins throughout the home. We have heated tile floors in all four baths. We have five garages (three attached and two detached). The detached garage has a finished loft above. Our agent is using the colonialism as comparables to a custom-built craftsman style, and her argument is that the extra land (the comparables are on 10 acres of land), have similar square footage, and they are nearby. Our home is more expensive to construct or replace. How can these homes be comparable? Monty’sanswer: There is not enough information to provide you a quality answer. Here are some suggestions
that may spark a quality solution. Consider seeking at least two additional views of value. Why? It will be difficult to convince your agent that she may not be analyzing the situation correctly. It is important the listing agent believes in the home’s value and can convey that belief to both her colleagues and to prospects. Even well educated appraisers, with years of training, will differ judging the value of the property. Why would real estate agents not do the same? Here is an article at https:// dearmonty.com/challenge-homeappraisers that may be helpful. Seek opinions from agents that have the appraisal fundamentals and skill to be able to justify a range of
value for your home through choosing the best comparables and making logical adjustments that will persuade you their logic makes sense. You can get a sense of their expertise by asking for a redacted copy of an actual recent range-of-value opinion they rendered and the outcome of the sale. Was the analysis accurate? It is possible one of the new opinions may demonstrate that the marketplace in your neighborhood will not pay extra for the quality that was important to you. Richard Montgomery is a real estate industry veteran. Send him questions at DearMonty.com.
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Garden party prep S
By Jim Weiker More Content Now
How to get your yard ready for guests
ay you only have one week left before 100 guests show up for a garden party — there’s no need to panic. Experts say it’s not too late to quickly and inexpensively freshen up a tired yard if hosts focus on the essentials. “Don’t try to decorate the whole yard,” said Tracy DiSabato-Aust, an Ohio garden author and speaker. “You don’t want to be stressed out for what should be a fun event because you’re worried about redoing the whole landscape.” With that in mind, we tapped DiSabato-Aust and other experts to come up with a guide to a new yard. Tidy up Start with the basics. Pick up debris, weed the beds and cut off the dead branches, twigs and stems that can make a yard look old and neglected. Run a pair of clippers around bushes and shrubs, trimming away the wild branches and adding a bit of shape. If time allows, sharpen the edge between the beds and the lawn. “If you haven’t already, cut back perennials and remove any leaves from the fall,” said Tom Wood, owner of Wood Landscape Services in Hilliard, Ohio. “Those things seem obvious but will make a difference.” Focus in particular on branches that might be in the way.
[BIGSTOCK]
Plant, plant, plant It’s too late for that oak or maple you’ve been pondering, but there’s still time to add a small decorative tree. Debra Knapke, who runs the Garden Sage landscape design firm, suggests planting a small conifer such as a dwarf golden Hinoki false cypress, Diana Japanese larch or varied-directions larch. “There are so many wonderful conifers that offer year-round interest,” Knapke said. Homeowners can then turn to flowers for “color and pop,” she said. Knapke likes petunias and lantanas, while DiSabato-Aust leans toward perennials such as Knock Out roses, baptisia (false indigo) or Siberian iris. If time is really crunched, Steve O’Neal, professor of horticulture and landscape design at Columbus State Community College, suggests a short cut to a great flower arrangement.
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“You can use potted plants made for hanging baskets for a quick fix,” he said. “Put the basket in the ground, the whole thing. Put mulch around it and you can’t tell. When the party is over, you can pull the basket out.” Containers are another easy way to add drama to a patio or deck. Spread the mulch Mulch is to the outdoors what paint is to the indoors: a quick and easy way to freshen up a space. A new layer of mulch can instantly make a messy bed look made and can make those new plants stand out. “If you have time, dress all the beds with fresh mulch,” Gard suggested. “New mulch is just the best.” Any mulch works, but darker mulch can add more drama to a bed.
Final touches Finally, add some zip to your yard with some special touches. O’Neal likes gazing balls, which can be tucked into landscaping or mounted on pedestals to add some zing. He also suggests sticking birch twigs around plants in containers to add height and drama. For an extra touch, paint the twigs school colors. Knapke recommends adding herbs such as lemon verbena, basil, oregano or lavender to fill the air with scents. “When it’s warm outside, you get these lovely smells,” she said. “You put lavender in the ground along the walkway, so as people brush past it, it gets the scent into the air.”
A CHECKLIST FOR A GARDEN PARTY • A week or so before the party, notify your neighbors and check local ordinances: If you’re going to have a lot of people over you should notify neighbors so they can prepare for any related noise or parking issues. Also check local ordinances, as some have restrictions on whether social gatherings can have alcohol, fire pits or loud music. • Have a backup plan for bad weather: HGTV suggests that if the longrange forecast says it may rain on your day, have tarps and twine ready to create makeshift shelters by tying them to trees and posts. However, you should still have a backup space, like a garage or basement den, clean and ready in case it starts storming and guests have no choice but to come inside. • Offer plenty of seating and shade: Borrow or rent chairs and tables as well as shade canopies for guests so no one feels the need to leave the party early because they can’t balance a wine glass and plate while standing. • Pest control tips: Treat ant hills and remove standing water (which attracts mosquitoes). According to partyhow.com, you should spray a day before or the morning of the party for mosquitoes and put out citronella candles, mosquito coils or tiki lamps. Also have insect repellants (both DEET based and natural) available for guests. • Keep it clean: Have trash cans with lids available and place them away from the party area.
TIPS OF THE WEEK Garage door safety tips June is Garage Door Safety Month and the best time for homeowners to review important safety tips. Here’s some advice from GarageDoorCare.com: • Always keep hands and fingers away from moving parts. • Remotes and openers aren’t toys; keep them out of reach of little ones. • Mount wall controls at least 5 feet off the ground to keep out of reach of children. • Keep the door in view until fully opened or closed. Make certain that no adults, children or animals try to enter or exit while the door is closing.
LAWN CARE Easy summer lawn care Summer is here, so apply these tips from Lowe’s to enjoy a well-cared-for yard. • The dog days of summer are not the ideal time to reseed your lawn, so wait until later in the season before doing so. • To make the most of your watering sessions, water your lawn at dawn or dusk when temperatures are cooler. • Add a 4-inch layer of mulch to the top of your beds to block out the sun and make it hard for weeds to grow.
HOME DECOR Zillow: Homes with blue bathrooms sell for more Zillow’s 2017 Paint Color Analysis looked at more than 32,000 photos of sold homes around the country to determine if certain paint colors affected their sale price when compared to similar homes with white walls. They found that homes with blue bathrooms (often hues of powder blue or light periwinkle) sold for $5,440 more than expected — the highest sales premium of all colors analyzed.
SENIOR SAFETY Aging-in-place bathroom upgrades American Standard’s How-to-Buy Guide for the bathroom outlines useful agingin-place upgrades for seniors, including: • Replace a step-in bathtub with a walk-in option. People with balance issues and muscle weakness may have trouble lifting their legs to step in or out of a standard tub. • Install easy-to-use faucets. Lever-style or single-handle faucets make controlling the water flow much easier for all ages and skill levels. • Choose higher toilets. Standard toilets have a bowl height of 14 to 15 inches. Toilets with higher seats at 16 ½ inches make it easier for people with mobility issues to rise to standing. — Brandpoint
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