One Stop Shopping

With people's lives becoming busier and busier, the one stop shopping concept in regards to a real estate transaction is gaining popularity.

A National Association of Realtors 2008 Study found that more than nine in ten (93%) home buyers, representing recent and future buyers alike (94% and 93%, respectively) would consider using a simplified, one-stop shopping process either strongly, somewhat or a little.

As far as utilization, the same study revealed that the number of recent buyers who used a one-stop shopping service increased 45% from 2002 to 2008 (20% in 2002 vs. 29% in 2008) but the vast majority still have not availed themselves of this option.

One stop shopping is gaining in popularity with everything from groceries and household supplies to financial services as well. Most folks don't have their checking account at one bank, savings at another, and safe-deposit box across town at a third bank (well, except for those espionage ridden "hide the money" Hollywood movies). So why should your next real estate transaction be any different?

Bill Swanson is an agent with over 20 years experience at CBSHome Real Estate, an affiliate of Berkshire Hathaway, in Omaha, Nebraska.

For any and all of your real estate needs, email Bill at Bill.Swanson@cbshome.com

Just What Nebraskans Need: Outdoor Heated Stair Mats

If you’re tired of shoveling snow off your stairs or slipping on ice that blankets them in the mornings, then here’s a gadget to make life a little easier:
Outdoor heated stair mats.

Install these guys on your stairs, and they’ll melt up to 2″ of snow per hour and keep ice from

forming and making footing treacherous.

The stair mats are powered by electricity, so they will need to be plugged into an outlet, but they eliminate the need to shovel snow or spread chemicals to de-ice the area, so it’s not a bad trade off. They plug into a standard 120V outlet, so you don’t need anything fancy to hook them up. The mats are supposed to be durable enough that you can leave them outside all winter.

Frontgate sells 3-mat sets for $250, and you can also buy additional mats one at a time. There’s a heated doormat too (hey, you want the complete collection, right?).

For housing information in your neighborhood feel free to contact bill.swanson@cbshome.com.

What Exactly is a First Time Home Buyer?

According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, a first time homebuyer is defined as not owning a home for the past three years. That opens up the criteria of who will benefit from the new stimulus packages.

First time homebuyers can receive a Gift ... an $8,000 Tax Credit Gift with no repayment. With President Obama signing into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act this week, first time homebuyers that close on a home between January 1 and November 30, can request up to an $8,000 Tax Credit, which is not paid back unless the homebuyer moves within three years.

Other features of the program:
1. Tax Credit (additional refund, not just a tax deduction) is up to 10% of the sales price
2. Individuals with income over $75,000 and couples with combined income over $150,000 will have less Tax Credit eligibility
3. Tax Credit can be claimed on this year's tax return, an amended return in 2009, or next year's tax return
4. Buyers can use State Bond programs and qualify for the Tax Credit such as NIFA (Nebraska Investment Finance Authority) Loans.

What a wonderful time for those that are renting or living with relatives, parents that have children that don't currently own a home, and homeowners in prices ranges that normally attract first time homebuyers. This, coupled with low interest rates should be a real incentive to jump back into the housing market.

For more information on finding the right home or advice on listing your property contact bill.swanson@cbshome.com or visit http://www.billswanson.com/ to view listings or request a free CMA.

Police Seek Owner Of Dismembered Statue

OMAHA, Neb. -- Investigators believe a brass statue found dismembered at a local salvage shop was likely stolen.

Police are seeking the owner of the statue, which stood about 5 feet tall and weighed about 120 pounds.

Police have asked the owner to call 444-5817.

Good News For Real Estate Investors

Starting March first, Fannie Mae will abandon its controversial policy of refusing to finance investor mortgages where the borrower already owns more than three other income properties that have mortgages on them.

Under the new rules, investors will be able to own a total of five to ten financed properties if they meet Fannie's other eligibility and underwriting standards.

Loan- to-value ratios on Fannie Mae-financed investor purchases will now go as high as 75 percent for single unit acquisitions and as high as 70 percent for projects with two to four units, provided the applicant has a minimum FICO credit score of 720.
Borrowers will also have to pass a series of other tests including the following:

First, they cannot have filed for bankruptcy or been foreclosed upon at any time during the past seven years, and they've got to have a spotless record on their other mortgages -- no late payments of 30 days or more -- during the previous 12 months.

Second, they've got to fully document rental income for any new acquisition, along with their revenues on all other investment properties, backed with two years worth of federal income tax returns.

Third, applicants owning no more than four units will need to show six months of bank reserves to support the new investment purchase, plus two months of reserves for every other investment property they own. Borrowers who own five to ten properties will need to show that they've got six months of reserves on hand for every property.

There's no question here that Fannie is looking to deal ONLY with the most financially stable multi-unit investors -- to skim the cream off the top of the investor market, and reject everybody else who can't come up with the heavy reserves. But if you fit the requirements on cash and credit, and can make the big downpayments, Fannie's policy change just might open the door to some very attractively priced long-term fixed rate financing.

For more information on investment properties contact bill.swanson@cbshome.com or visit http://www.billswanson.com/.

13 Facts About Friday the 13th

If you fear Friday the 13th, then batten down the hatches. This week's unlucky day is the first of three this year.

The next Friday the 13th comes in March, followed by Nov. 13. Such a triple whammy comes around only every 11.

Here are 13 more facts about the infamous day:

1. The British Navy built a ship named Friday the 13th. On its maiden voyage, the vessel left dock on a Friday the 13th, and was never heard from again.

2. The ill-fated Apollo 13 launched at 13:13 CST on Apr. 11, 1970. The sum of the date's digits (4-11-70) is 13 (as in 4+1+1+7+0 = 13). And the explosion that crippled the spacecraft occurred on April 13 (not a Friday). The crew did make it back to Earth safely, however.

3. Many hospitals have no room 13, while some tall buildings skip the 13th floor.

4. Fear of Friday the 13th - one of the most popular myths in science - is called paraskavedekatriaphobia as well as friggatriskaidekaphobia. Triskaidekaphobia is fear of the number 13.

5. Quarterback Dan Marino wore No. 13 throughout his career with the Miami Dolphins. Despite being a superb quarterback (some call him one of the best ever), he got to the Super Bowl just once, in 1985, and was trounced 38-16 by the San Francisco 49ers and Joe Montana (who wore No. 16 and won all four Super Bowls he played in).

6. Butch Cassidy, notorious American train and bank robber, was born on Friday, April 13, 1866.

7. Fidel Castro was born on Friday, Aug. 13, 1926.

8. President Franklin D. Roosevelt would not travel on the 13th day of any month and would never host 13 guests at a meal. Napoleon and Herbert Hoover were also triskaidekaphobic, with an abnormal fear of the number 13.

9. Superstitious diners in Paris can hire a quatorzieme, or professional 14th guest.

10. Mark Twain once was the 13th guest at a dinner party. A friend warned him not to go. "It was bad luck," Twain later told the friend. "They only had food for 12."

11. Woodrow Wilson considered 13 his lucky number, though his experience didn't support such faith. He arrived in Normandy, France on Friday, Dec. 13, 1918, for peace talks, only to return with a treaty he couldn't get Congress to sign. (The ship's crew wanted to dock the next day due to superstitions, Fernsler said.) He toured the United States to rally support for the treaty, and while traveling, suffered a near-fatal stroke.

12. The number 13 suffers from its position after 12, according to numerologists who consider the latter to be a complete number - 12 months in a year, 12 signs of the zodiac, 12 gods of Olympus, 12 labors of Hercules, 12 tribes of Israel, 12 apostles of Jesus, 12 days of Christmas and 12 eggs in a dozen.

13. The seals on the back of a dollar bill include 13 steps on the pyramid, 13 stars above the eagle's head, 13 war arrows in the eagle's claw and 13 leaves on the olive branch. So far there's been no evidence tying these long-ago design decisions to the present economic situation.

Would you like to learn more useless trivia? Sign up to be a follower of the BILLBoard!

Investor Report: Self-Storage Facilities

It's not a high-glamour, high profile niche in real estate investing, but it could be one of the safer, cash-flow producers in tough economic times: We're talking about self-storage facilities for small-scale investors.

Yes, there are lots of them out there -- more than 52,000 nationwide. But the industry racks up $20 billion a year in sales and people always need a place to keep their extra "stuff."

Better yet, many centers generate positive cash flows even with unit vacancy rates above 30 percent, so small-scale local investors who have a knack for management and marketing can often do well - even in a down economy.

One investors strategy with self-storage is to buy existing facilities in the $2 million and up range that have significant potential for growth in value by boosting rental revenues and occupancy rates through intensive management oversight and modest fix-ups.

Here are 3 key elements of this approach:

1. Thoroughly research and understand the demand and current performance of self-storage facilities in your area. The storage business draws customers from a relatively small geographical radius of about four miles. Locations with large numbers of multifamily dwellings such as apartment buildings, condos and small houses tend to do best.

2. Since competition comes with the territory you've got to be prepared to out-market them with creative sales strategies and even out-manage them with personalized services.

3. Well-chosen, modest-cost improvements go a long way: lighting, cleanliness, security, and even asphalt paving.

The other good news is that once you win the client over they tend to be devoted tenants, and aren't going away. It is rare for a customer to move their belongings from one unit to another, so first impressions are everything!

For more information contact bill.swanson@cbshome.com or visit www.billswanson.com.

141 Days to Tax Credit Deadline!

The countdown is on. If you are a first time homebuyer you can receive a $7500 Gift from our government in the form of an additional $7500 tax refund for closing on a home prior to June 30, 2009.

While interest rates have ticked up from 50 year lows, they are still very, very attractive. Your actual interest rate is dependent upon the program choice, down payment, loan size, type of property, and credit score.

What a wonderful opportunity to buy a home: low interest rates, wonderful selection of homes, and a $7500 Tax Credit!

For more information on getting a free preapproval and assitance finding you first home contact bill.swanson@cbshome.com today!

Finally - Free Information!

Dial 1-800-GOOG-411 from any phone.

State the location and business type.

Connect to the business for FREE!

Done!

Those Google people never fail to amaze us. Now they have come up with an 800 number you can call and ask for any business in the country. They then dial it and connect to it for you.

You can use it from a land line or cell phone and, once programmed into your cell phone, you can get connected with one push of a button. In addition to dialing for you, you can request by business category and get a map or a text message with more detail.

Neat stuff - and oh yes - there is no cost for this service. Long live Google.

Comment? Questions? Just want to send me an email? Contact bill.swanson@cbshome.com.

Can Color Spark Interest In Your Home?

Many salespeople and stagers say neutral beige or off-white walls are what sells listings—but a touch of color may be just what you need to revive buyers' interest in a languishing listing. Although beige may offend no one, the right color on a home's walls or spotlighted in the accessories can trigger positive physiological and psychological responses among potential buyers.

Research on color responses has shown that warm colors, such as orange and red, can increase excitement and energy, whereas cooler hues, such as blue, can be calming and relaxing. Indeed, research shows color can influence a person's senses—even body temperature—and make scenes more memorable. Knowing the responses colors evoke offers insight into where and when you should use color in a home to appeal to buyers.

White, on the other hand can makes the room invisible. White is a missed opportunity to create a feeling in the space. It doesn't help buyers imagine themselves in the home. (Not to mention, in Asian cultures, white is associated with death and can add a certain doom to listings.) Pastel colors—which have a mostly white base—can have a similar, invisible effect.

So what color can lift a buyer's spirits? The most potent color is green. In light-spectrum research that focused on treatments for season affective disorder, subjects exposed to green colors were in better moods than any of the other subjects tested.

But before you start splashing green on all your listings, take caution. Not all shades of green are a safe bet. For example, lime greens—or any yellows with green undertones—look sickly to most buyers. Medium shades of green such as sage—and bedrooms painted in creamy tones of green—can be a good choice. Studies also favor buttery yellows inside and out, complemented with white trim accents.

Use the Color Wheel to Mix & Match

Remember learning about the color wheel in grade school? This 12-step circular rainbow graphic shows the relationship among colors and can serve as a helpful guide in choosing what colors to mix and match in a home to get pleasing results. Here's a refresher.

The color wheel is broken down into three main categories: primary (foundation colors used to create all other colors), secondary (created by combining two of the primary colors), and tertiary (formed by combining a primary and an adjacent secondary color).

To mix and match colors easily, you can use the color wheel in one of two ways:

1. Complementary Two colors that fall directly opposite one another on the color wheel (e.g. red and green, blue and orange, and yellow and purple). They create a maximum contrast and can be visually intense.
2. Analogous Color schemes that consist of any three colors located side by side on the color wheel (e.g. yellow, yellow-orange, and orange). One of the three colors usually dominates. This color scheme can add depth and energy to a room.

Color is always a very personal choice. So color choices can be subtle. A color doesn't have to be bright yellow or tomato red to be noticed. It can be a derivative or a subtle tint or tone of those particular colors to create the warming effect buyers want in a home.

For more information on how to prepare your home to sell contact bill.swanson@cbshome.com or visit www.billswanson.com.

Pennsylvania’s famous Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow

PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. - Punxsutawney Phil has spoken, and the news isn’t good.
The world’s most famous furry forecaster saw his shadow Wednesday on Gobbler’s Knob, suggesting another six weeks of wintry weather.

The chubby critter delivered the prediction after he was pulled from his burrow in an oak stump at 7:31 a.m. by a top-hatted handler, and his prediction was greeted by boos from the thousands in attendance.

As of 7:51 a.m. there was still no siting of Bill Murray.