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Narrowing Down
Your Home Search
 It's
an enviable position in which to find oneself, but it happens. You're
approaching the end of your home search, and you're torn between two or
more homes. The major deciding factors -- asking price, quality of the
neighborhood, quality of school district and commute time to your
office as well as your spouse's -- are relatively equal, so those won't
help you favor one home over another.
What to do now? The decision could drive you batty. If you lean toward
one home, you'll be looking over your shoulder longingly at the other
home. All of those "What ifs?" questions will run
through your mind. Maybe the carpeting in the other house
would have been more versatile. Maybe the layout of the other home
would have been more agreeable both for your furniture and for your
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Evaluate
Homes for Your Current
and Future Needs
 When my
husband and I bought our first house, we tried to anticipate the needs
of the babies we hoped to have. The house had 3 bedrooms, a big flat
level yard for playing, and was in a top rated school district. What we
did not foresee was that the spiral floating staircase would
necessitate extensive custom babyproofing when we had a cruising
toddler.
The "open plan" layout which had been great for adult entertaining
later became problematic when the happy noise of children was channeled
throughout the house. The ski-slope driveway leading to our wooded
aerie created a private retreat for we two. When we became four, the
first sign of snow on our driveway led to playdates hurriedly cancelled
by nervous friends.
When buying a home, it's important to look at your future needs as well
as your current ones. According to the National Association of Home
Builders
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Which
Repairs Should You Make
Before the Sale?
 If you're
preparing to place your home on the market, it's inevitable that you'll
need a couple of minor repairs and slight improvements before that "For
Sale" sign can be driven into the front yard.
Practical projects like a fresh coat of paint require little time or
money but can make your home more attractive -- and more attractive
homes are likely to sell faster and for more money.
But what if an item needs repair, something which doesn't jeopardize
anyone's health or safety -- a problem of the "out of sight, out of
mind" variety. Should you simply disclose it and leave the buyer to
deal with the problem? Or should you fix it before placing your home on
the market?
Before making any decisions, consider that repairing the problem could
result in a higher sales price. It's sweet music to any buyer's ears to
hear the terms "new" or "just replaced" as they walk through a home.
Think of it this way: A move-up buyer or transferee has a good idea of
what it takes to operate a home. The goal here is to move in with the
fewest costs and headaches, so making repairs in advance is a big
selling point.
For first-timer buyers the situation is
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Think Green: Trees a Big
Plus For Your Home
 As you
embark on your house-hunting ventures, chances are the contenders
canopied by mature trees will make the top of your list. Or, if you're
buying a new home, you're probably anxious to get those trees planted
to reap the awards in the years ahead.
The benefits of trees are numerous. They increase property values,
sometimes as much as 20 percent, according to the National Arbor Day
Foundation. On
average, trees add between 5 to 7 percent to the value of the property
- the U.S. Forest Service says the added value results in an extra
$5,000 per lot.
Trees also help cool your home.
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