Buying an North Las Vegas Condo is a True Lifestyle Decision

Existing home sales rose nationally throughout 2013 – and included in those numbers were a good many condominiums. If 2014 will find you investigating the market for a new home, it may be time to give condo living a serious thought.  Buying a condo in North Las Vegas can provide many of the benefits of home ownership minus much of the worry that goes with keeping your property. Of course, whether buying a condo is the right housing solution depends on the buyer as well as the particular condo itself – but there are some generalities usually hold true.

Most condominiums include a variety of amenities for the owners. There may be an on-site fitness center, or a pool. Owners may also have access to a club room, or even other features that some of the larger upscale developments offer, such as on-site shopping, hair salons and concierge services.

Whether you call it an ‘amenity’ or not, never having to shovel snow, mow the lawn or worry about property upkeep is certainly welcomed by many. If you are buying a condo in North Las Vegas, you’re usually buying everything from the drywall inwards – the rest is owned by the development.

Those amenities don’t come for free. Typically, you’ll be required to make payments to the Homeowner’s Association, or HOA. These fees can be tiny or considerable: ranging from a couple hundred dollars a year to as much as four figures a month. The variation in those numbers make it mandatory to include the HOA fees in your budget when you’re shopping for a condo. Your savings on home insurance and property taxes can be given back in HOA fees.

Many people are drawn to condo living principally because of the accompanying worry-free lifestyle. You get your own living space, are free to modify it, and are working towards owning it rather than just paying rent. However, this lifestyle isn’t right for everyone: you sacrifice a degree of privacy, and don’t have your own yard.

The luxury of condo living will only be enjoyed if you’re comfortable with the lifestyle that goes with buying a condo. Then, if you do think you might be a buying a condo in North Las Vegas this winter, call me to review today’s best inventory!

Call Andrea Gonzalez @ VIP Realty group 702.485-7887 

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Your Las Vegas Real Estate Expert! Andrea Gonzalez- VIP Realty Group/Call or Text me! 702.485-7887| http://www.vipdreamhomes.com| andrea@vipdreamhomes.com

Disclosing North Las Vegas Property Flaws Improves Buyers’ Confidence

Just Imagine that you have just moved into your new North Las Vegas property, and suddenly you are up against some serious flaw you knew nothing about. Added on top of the normal moving turmoil: now there’s this! You didn’t have a chance to fix things up before you moved in because you were totally in the dark concerning the problem.  Imagine the frustration, disappointment, and anger… Enter: lawsuit.

In other words, for you as a seller, there are some pretty convincing reasons to do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

A disclosure is a written statement describing your obligations under state and local laws regarding property flaws you know about. Your disclosure might include structural defects—like leaking windows or cracks in the foundation. It might include landscaping problems, like a branch that endangers a power line; and in some areas could even include air pollution or other environmental factors beyond your control. Any North Las Vegas property issues that the law specifies must be disclosed before the sale is finalized.

The consequences for not following the law can be serious: they could mean a lawsuit seeking the cost of repairs and other damages. In any case, you will want to insulate yourself from these risks by making sure you’re informed about the state of your property in Las Vegas and by disclosing issues whether or not they are discovered during inspection.

Full disclosure isn’t just the surest way to protect yourself from future legal action — it also lets you rest easy knowing you’ve done the right thing. Don’t assume a buyer will lose interest in your property because there are flaws. All properties have them, and by helping your buyers make informed decisions on what they want to do before they move in, chances are you’ll boost their confidence about the transaction. You’ll feel good knowing that you treated your buyer as you’d want them to treat you, and you’ll feel even better knowing that some non-disclosed property issue won’t come back to haunt you.

Preparing to sell this winter?  Call me today to get your home listed and sold!

Andrea Gonzalez-VIP Realty Group/call or text 702.485-7887

Website: www.vipdreamhomes.com/sell

House Pipe Freeze-ups Can Be Prevented by Early Action

It’s easy to be caught off guard when the mercury drops before winter has even begun. And this year a visit from unusually early icy blasts of cold from up north has been the rule almost everywhere in the country. This Holiday Season, even local house owners who don’t have to worry about their own North Las Vegas house safety may be visiting relatives unprepared for the sudden December tundra; so it’s a good time to go over the Red Cross cold weather Preventive Action guidelines:

• Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer air to circulate around the plumbing (but: move any harmful cleaners and household chemicals up out of the reach of children). And keep garage doors closed!
• In very cold weather, let the cold water drip from the faucet served by exposed pipes. Running water through the pipe - even at a trickle - helps prevent pipes from freezing.
• If you will be going away, leave the heat on in the house, set to a temperature no lower than 55° F.

       Following those tried-and-true guidelines should mean you’re home free. But if you turn on a faucet and only a trickle comes out, suspect a frozen pipe. Trace the culprit: likely places for frozen pipes include against exterior walls or where your water service enters the house through the foundation. To thaw frozen pipes:

• Apply heat to the section of pipe using an electric heating pad wrapped around the pipe, an electric hair dryer, a portable space heater (kept away from flammable materials), or by wrapping pipes with towels soaked in hot water. Do not use a blowtorch, kerosene or propane heater, charcoal stove, or other open flame device—no matter how tempting.

• Keep the faucet open. As you treat the frozen pipe and the frozen area begins to melt, water will begin to flow through the frozen area. Running water through the pipe will help melt ice inside the pipe.
• Check all other faucets in your home to find out if you have additional frozen pipes. If one pipe freezes, others may freeze, too.
• Apply heat until full water pressure is restored. If you are unable to locate the frozen area, if it’s not accessible, or if you cannot thaw the pipe, you’ll have to call a licensed plumber. If you need a reference, call me anytime for this or any other North Las Vegas house questions.        Andrea Gonzalez-VIP Realty Group/call or text 702.485-7887.

Visit my website at: www.vipdreamhomes.com

Your North Las Vegas Real Estate Listing: the Marketing

Sometimes what you don’t say in your North Las Vegas real estate listing can be as important as what you do. Your marketing will necessarily include all sorts of numerical info your agent enters for our Las Vegas MLS – but the main text itself is every bit as crucial. That paragraph has to be more than a summary of structure and land because it’s actually your most important ad. Your agent must accurately describe the home while simultaneously reaching out to appeal to the corps of potential buyers.

Certainly, the most glaring shortcomings will always sour a real estate listing (bad photos, misspellings, etc.). But there are more subtle points that can slip by.

Phrasing should avoid negative-sounding words. “Dark” can perfectly describe a comfortable décor approach, but on paper, the word is a downer. “Old” is another one of those, while its first cousins “quaint” and “historic” are positive substitutes. “Needs work” will dynamite the perceived value of any home (who want to pay to have to do “work”?) — while “perfect canvas for your design touches” leaves a more positive impression.

The right language gives buyers a chance to form their own opinions once they’ve seen the property. Negatives stand a good chance of preventing that from happening in the first place.

Your North Las Vegas real estate listing is your first chance to sell, so don’t neglect to mention less-obvious features: any unseen attributes that numbers alone don’t convey. The number of bedrooms, square footage, etc., can’t help a listing’s reader know that there is a finished basement. An extra-big garage or astonishingly beautiful window views need to be pointed out (but only if the adjectives are on-target).

In any case, be sure your home is prepared to show and sell before your Las Vegas real estate listing appears. Buyers can see how long a home has been on the market, and the more days and weeks that tick by, the less appealing a property can seem. But the fact is, a well-marketed property is most likely to become a quickly sold property.

As your home closes in on its marketing debut, contact me to schedule a no-obligation consultation. I’m here to make sure that listing pops! 

 Andrea Gonzalez-VIP Realty Group

Call/Text: 702.485-7887

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An Inexpensive Confidence-Booster for North Las Vegas Home Sellers

Consumer confidence certainly seems to wax and wane in a not-totally-predictable manner. What does seem clear is that when the future is cloudy, North Las Vegas homebuyers tend to tighten up their purse strings. It’s logical: if you can plan ahead with a greater degree of certainty, you feel better about making the kind of commitment buying a North Las Vegas home entails.

If you plan on selling your home in North Las Vegas this winter, you may not be able to do much about whether the economy grows or tanks, or the Federal Reserve expands or shrinks the money supply. But there IS at least one thing you can do to remove uncertainty from the minds of your prospective buyers. Just offer a home warranty!

A home warranty in North Las Vegas is an inexpensive plan that provides coverage for items that typically fall outside a traditional home insurance plan. The major kitchen appliances are generally only covered by your home policy if they are damaged in a fire, stolen, or suffer damage resulting from some other covered peril. A home warranty provides reassurance for a much broader scope of damage and mechanical breakdown. Warrantee buyers can also opt to include other large items in the home — like the HVAC system, boilers, water softeners and water heaters.

H.U.D. points out that a home warranty is an increasingly popular inclusion because it offers protection during the period immediately following a home’s purchase — the time when most local home buyers know they will “find themselves cash-strapped.” Although payment can be monthly or annual, most home sellers choose a one-time payment option.

In an uncertain world, are homebuyers reassured when a home warranty is part of your offer? Statistics from the National Home Warranty Association provide their own reassurance: they show that including a home warranty as part of the sale can help a home sell for up to 50% faster. 

Even though a North Las Vegas home warranty is an added expense, it’s an investment that can pay off in helping your home sell faster — possibly at a higher price, as well. Thinking of selling this winter? Call me today to discuss this and many other ways we can make it happen!

Andrea Gonzalez- VIP Realty Group/702.485-7887

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Understanding the Bank’s Position Leads to Short Sale Success

A North Las Vegas short sale is a transaction in which the amount paid is not sufficient to cover the existing mortgage or property liens. Once the lender agrees to accept the lesser amount, the short sale succeeds, the lender calls it even with the seller, and all parties can move forward.

It’s a good thing to ‘unfreeze’ a property, yet short sales in North Las Vegas can be tricky to close. In the worst-case scenario, a buyer and would-be short seller can be put on ice for a full year or more before the short sale succeeds. As is evident to anyone who has been through the process, a North Las Vegas real estate agent with short sale experience is essential for leading the way through the negotiations and closing.

In addition to working with a knowledgeable agent, it’s good to also approach a situation which might turn into a short sale by understanding the general precepts that influence those who will make the decisions. Usually, the mortgage-holding bank publishes how they wish to be contacted. Often, it’s through the “Loss Mitigation” Department (or a title to that effect). That language tells you all you have to know to explain why their attitude may be less than enthusiastic.

Like any commercial business, the bank’s decision-makers seek to minimize the time and man-hours needed to gain the best result. If you come to them with what is an obviously unreasonable offer, they are no more likely to react positively than any other seller. For this reason, researching the market value of nearby properties--enough so that it’s easy to show that your offer is based on a reasonable discount from those prices—is the best way to be taken seriously.

Although you shouldn’t be surprised if even a reasonable offer is turned down at first, don’t be afraid to counter with a second offer.

Depending on the circumstances, I sometimes advise my clients to decide on a viable time frame in which to either close the deal or move on. Not only will this prevent your wasting time, but it can motivate a loan officer to truncate what might otherwise become long-winded negotiations.

Short sales in Las Vegas are still to be found for motivated and patient buyers. If you are looking to buy a home in the coming year, now is the right time to call me to start your search!

Andrea Gonzalez/VIP Realty Group/call or text 702.485-7887

website: http://www.vipdreamhomes.com