Remodel Where it Matters Most
When remodeling your home, be sure to spend money where it matters the most. Homeowners expect to recoup the entire cost of remodeling, but many improvement projects do not provide a full return on the investment. Knowing where to spend money on your home will help maximize your return. There are two main areas to focus on: kitchens and bathrooms.
The kitchen is probably one of the most important areas in any home. Homeowners spend most of their time in the kitchen, so it is particularly important to focus on that area when considering any improvements. Minor kitchen remodeling projects bring the most return on the investment. You can expect to receive almost a complete return in the kitchen.
Bathrooms are also important to focus on. Although bathroom remodeling can sometimes be extensive, having updated bathrooms is an excellent way to make any home more appealing. Bathroom remodeling projects can also bring close to a complete return on your investment.
Knowing what areas will give you the most return on your investment will not only make your home more attractive and save you money in the long run, but will also be valuable when trying to sell your home.
About Wendy and Elliot Koolik: Wendy and Elliot Koolik are recognized leaders in the Boca Raton luxury and country club real estate communities. While they are active in all of Palm Beach County, they focus on Boca Raton, Delray Beach and Highland Beach. Since 2000, Wendy and Elliot Koolik have sold more than $339 million dollars in real estate by offering their clients a unique marketing plan for their home and an unparalleled level of customer service.
Wendy and Elliot are part of Koolik Group Realty, a family-owned and operated real estate company serving buyers and sellers since 1990. The real estate firm is known for its responsiveness to clients, knowledge of the neighborhoods they specialize in and, above all, for its boundless passion for the real estate business.
For more information, contact Wendy and Elliot by phone at 561.393.9997 x113, online at www.ElliotKoolik.com , by e-mail at EKoolik@Koolik.com or visit their blog at www.bocaratonluxuryrealestate.blogspot.com
Friday, March 30, 2007
Friday, March 23, 2007
10 Ways a Realtor Can Help You
10 Ways a Realtor Can Help You
1.) A realtor can help you with the market.
Whether you’re a buyer or a seller, a realtor is the one you can turn to for information on home values, neighborhoods, taxes, zoning, schools, and more.
2.) A realtor can help you set the price.
A realtor knows the current real estate market and can help you set a realistic selling price.
3.) A realtor can help you advertise efficiently.
When you’re a seller, a realtor handles and pays for all marketing efforts for your home, from advertising and arranging open houses, to placing a sign in front of your home.
4.) A realtor can help you with financing.
When you’re a buyer, a realtor will help pre-qualify you, help you find financing, arrange for home inspections and so on. A realtor can also assist the seller on financing a buyer.
5.) A realtor can help you add sales appeal.
A realtor knows how to add the extra appeal to your home at little cost that can generate interest. If you’re the buyer, a realtor often can suggest imaginative changes for making your prospective new home more suitable for you and more valuable.
6.) A realtor can help you with details.
A realtor handles many time-consuming tasks that are a part of the real estate transaction process. Both buyers and sellers are kept informed while free from stress.
7.) A realtor can help you at your closing.
A realtor will accompany you to the closing or even attend in your place, and help you with all the paperwork beforehand.
8.) A realtor can help you find your best deal.
Whether you’re a buyer or a seller, a realtor is bound and obligated by the Code of Ethics to give fair treatment to all parties in the transaction.
9.) A realtor brings buyers and sellers together.
A realtor ultimately helps both parties finding the best homes in an affordable price range for qualified, serious buyers.
10.) A realtor lets you live your life.
A realtor is a professional who has the expertise and time to get the job done right. That makes it easier for to get one with the life you’ve worked so hard to enjoy.
From the Realtor Association of Greater Fort Lauderdale, as seen in the Sun Sentinel March 19, 2007.
1.) A realtor can help you with the market.
Whether you’re a buyer or a seller, a realtor is the one you can turn to for information on home values, neighborhoods, taxes, zoning, schools, and more.
2.) A realtor can help you set the price.
A realtor knows the current real estate market and can help you set a realistic selling price.
3.) A realtor can help you advertise efficiently.
When you’re a seller, a realtor handles and pays for all marketing efforts for your home, from advertising and arranging open houses, to placing a sign in front of your home.
4.) A realtor can help you with financing.
When you’re a buyer, a realtor will help pre-qualify you, help you find financing, arrange for home inspections and so on. A realtor can also assist the seller on financing a buyer.
5.) A realtor can help you add sales appeal.
A realtor knows how to add the extra appeal to your home at little cost that can generate interest. If you’re the buyer, a realtor often can suggest imaginative changes for making your prospective new home more suitable for you and more valuable.
6.) A realtor can help you with details.
A realtor handles many time-consuming tasks that are a part of the real estate transaction process. Both buyers and sellers are kept informed while free from stress.
7.) A realtor can help you at your closing.
A realtor will accompany you to the closing or even attend in your place, and help you with all the paperwork beforehand.
8.) A realtor can help you find your best deal.
Whether you’re a buyer or a seller, a realtor is bound and obligated by the Code of Ethics to give fair treatment to all parties in the transaction.
9.) A realtor brings buyers and sellers together.
A realtor ultimately helps both parties finding the best homes in an affordable price range for qualified, serious buyers.
10.) A realtor lets you live your life.
A realtor is a professional who has the expertise and time to get the job done right. That makes it easier for to get one with the life you’ve worked so hard to enjoy.
From the Realtor Association of Greater Fort Lauderdale, as seen in the Sun Sentinel March 19, 2007.
About Wendy and Elliot Koolik: Wendy and Elliot Koolik are recognized leaders in the Boca Raton luxury and country club real estate communities. While they are active in all of Palm Beach County, they focus on Boca Raton, Delray Beach and Highland Beach. Since 2000, Wendy and Elliot Koolik have sold more than $339 million dollars in real estate by offering their clients a unique marketing plan for their home and an unparalleled level of customer service.
Wendy and Elliot are part of Koolik Group Realty, a family-owned and operated real estate company serving buyers and sellers since 1990. The real estate firm is known for its responsiveness to clients, knowledge of the neighborhoods they specialize in and, above all, for its boundless passion for the real estate business.
For more information, contact Wendy and Elliot by phone at 561.393.9997 x113, online at www.ElliotKoolik.com , by e-mail at EKoolik@Koolik.com or visit their blog at www.bocaratonluxuryrealestate.blogspot.com
Monday, March 05, 2007
Need Help Buying Your First Home?
Wondering if now is the time to buy your first house or condo?
With a deluge of properties for sale throughout South Florida, prices are flexible, interest rates are reasonable, and sellers are offering incentives to seal a deal.
But a home's price is just the beginning. Taxes and insurance can add as much as 50 percent to your monthly payment, real estate experts warn.
"It seems to me there are a lot of options out there, but you've got insurance and taxes and those are a real killer," said Bob Stroh, director of the University of Florida's Shimberg Center for Affordable Housing. "We're seeing young people staying at home until they are 25 or 30 because they can't afford to buy anything. "
To help bridge the affordability gap, programs for first-time buyers are available from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Florida Housing Finance Corp., Broward and Palm Beach counties, and many of their cities.
The programs are offered in conjunction with participating banks and lenders and some public housing agencies offer homeownership vouchers that enable tenants to buy homes.
Most programs define first-time buyers as those who have not owned a home they lived in during the past three years. To qualify for down payment or closing cost assistance, below-rate mortgages, subsidies in the form of second mortgages or cash upfront, first-time homebuyers have to meet certain income and purchase price limits and credit requirements, and live in a state, city or county offering such aid.
As a first-time buyer, you can look online or contact your city, county or the state Housing Finance Corp. to learn about available assistance. You can fill out applications online or in person. You must attend mandatory seminars on home ownership and meet with a counselor who reviews your income, credit rating and debts and decides how much help you can receive.
"There are plenty of options for first-time buyers today," said Sean Donahue, vice president of sales at HomeBanc Mortgage Corp., in Deerfield Beach. "It's turned into really a buyer's market."
Much of the aid offered by cities and counties comes from the federal government's HOME program and Florida's State Housing Initiatives Partnership program, which are designed to help low- and moderate-income residents.
Broward County's program is not limited to first-time buyers and offers help with down payments and closing costs based on income. To qualify, the household's annual income cannot exceed $72,720 for one or two people and $84,840 for three or more. Buyers are asked to contact a participating lender listed on the county's Web site to determine if they qualify.
Cities that administer these programs can add their own funding or use community development block grants for their first-time buyer priorities.
Real estate agents advise first-time buyers to decide where they want to live and meet with a mortgage expert to learn what they can afford.
"We're finding it's a good time again for first-time buyers to get into the market because interest rates are good, there's a lot to choose from and sellers are motivated," said Anita McCaron, an realtor-associate with Illustrated Properties in West Palm Beach.
Article from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, February 16, 2007 written by Robin Benedick. Robin can be reached at rbenedick@sun-sentinel.com or 954-385-7914.
About Wendy and Elliot Koolik: Wendy and Elliot Koolik are recognized leaders in the Boca Raton luxury and country club real estate communities. While they are active in all of Palm Beach County, they focus on Boca Raton, Delray Beach and Highland Beach. Since 2000, Wendy and Elliot Koolik have sold more than $339 million dollars in real estate by offering their clients a unique marketing plan for their home and an unparalleled level of customer service.
Wendy and Elliot are part of Koolik Group Realty, a family-owned and operated real estate company serving buyers and sellers since 1990. The real estate firm is known for its responsiveness to clients, knowledge of the neighborhoods they specialize in and, above all, for its boundless passion for the real estate business.
For more information, contact Wendy and Elliot by phone at 561.393.9997 x113, online at www.ElliotKoolik.com , by e-mail at EKoolik@Koolik.com or visit their blog at www.bocaratonluxuryrealestate.blogspot.com
Friday, March 02, 2007
Selling Your Home?
Selling Your Home? Focus on the Kitchen
If you are selling your home, the best chance at cooking up a sale is in the kitchen.
The kitchen is an area where form and function are equally important. For today’s home buyer, the kitchen is typically the most important room in the house. Buyer’s view the kitchen as an area that serves many functions which can include preparing and sharing meals, entertaining, social gathering, sorting mail, and paying bills. Having a functional kitchen is very important to buyers.
In a recent survey, 85 % of respondents said the condition of the kitchen is a major consideration when making a purchasing decision. Having an updated or well maintained kitchen makes the decision easier for buyers because updating a kitchen can be costly. Many repairs can be discouraging to buyers, so kitchens that appear to need minimal or no work at all can help make the decision for a buyer.
Having a clean, updated, and functional kitchen makes selling your home easier because it will be more appealing to buyers.
About Wendy and Elliot Koolik: Wendy and Elliot Koolik are recognized leaders in the Boca Raton luxury and country club real estate communities. While they are active in all of Palm Beach County, they focus on Boca Raton, Delray Beach and Highland Beach. Since 2000, Wendy and Elliot Koolik have sold more than $339 million dollars in real estate by offering their clients a unique marketing plan for their home and an unparalleled level of customer service.
Wendy and Elliot are part of Koolik Group Realty, a family-owned and operated real estate company serving buyers and sellers since 1990. The real estate firm is known for its responsiveness to clients, knowledge of the neighborhoods they specialize in and, above all, for its boundless passion for the real estate business.
For more information, contact Wendy and Elliot by phone at 561.393.9997 x113, online at www.ElliotKoolik.com , by e-mail at EKoolik@Koolik.com or visit their blog at www.bocaratonluxuryrealestate.blogspot.com
If you are selling your home, the best chance at cooking up a sale is in the kitchen.
The kitchen is an area where form and function are equally important. For today’s home buyer, the kitchen is typically the most important room in the house. Buyer’s view the kitchen as an area that serves many functions which can include preparing and sharing meals, entertaining, social gathering, sorting mail, and paying bills. Having a functional kitchen is very important to buyers.
In a recent survey, 85 % of respondents said the condition of the kitchen is a major consideration when making a purchasing decision. Having an updated or well maintained kitchen makes the decision easier for buyers because updating a kitchen can be costly. Many repairs can be discouraging to buyers, so kitchens that appear to need minimal or no work at all can help make the decision for a buyer.
Having a clean, updated, and functional kitchen makes selling your home easier because it will be more appealing to buyers.
About Wendy and Elliot Koolik: Wendy and Elliot Koolik are recognized leaders in the Boca Raton luxury and country club real estate communities. While they are active in all of Palm Beach County, they focus on Boca Raton, Delray Beach and Highland Beach. Since 2000, Wendy and Elliot Koolik have sold more than $339 million dollars in real estate by offering their clients a unique marketing plan for their home and an unparalleled level of customer service.
Wendy and Elliot are part of Koolik Group Realty, a family-owned and operated real estate company serving buyers and sellers since 1990. The real estate firm is known for its responsiveness to clients, knowledge of the neighborhoods they specialize in and, above all, for its boundless passion for the real estate business.
For more information, contact Wendy and Elliot by phone at 561.393.9997 x113, online at www.ElliotKoolik.com , by e-mail at EKoolik@Koolik.com or visit their blog at www.bocaratonluxuryrealestate.blogspot.com
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