North Fargo - You're invited to visit our Open House Spring Spectacular at 226 26th Ave N on May 6 from 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM. While you're there, register for an opportunity to win a $100 Target gift certificate to be given away the following day.
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Note that this information is outdated. 
It's only 8 seconds... but it's the most exciting 8 seconds in any sport, in any arena, in any city. There are no referees. It's man against beast.
When/Where: FargoDome / March 30-31 @7:30 PM
More info: http://fargodome.com/events_view.php?id=169
1,692 sq. ft., 2 bath, 3 bdrm bi-level - MLS® $130,000
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• 1,008 sq. ft. rambler - MLS® $124,900
North Fargo, - We have the key to what you've been looking for! Appealing home, great location, and desired school.
Located on a low-traffic street near city park, yet convenient to most everything, this rambler offers a generous living room, big family room, fully-equipped kitchen, plus a dining room with built-in hutch.
Some of the amenities you'll appreciate... hardwood floors; big windows that wash rooms with natural light; home office or hobby room; plenty of storage including a kitchen pantry; and a fenced, park-like backyard with its own play equipment. Special financing programs and historically low interest rates make this home truly affordable.
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Turn harmful habits into a healthy home with these tips and advice.
Bedroom
You spend a third of your life in bed. If you wake up with a runny nose or itchy throat, dust mites might be the problem. Wash sheets weekly; blankets every two weeks in hot water. Freeze non-washable stuffed animals for two or three hours. Opt for washable pillows and comforters over those made with down or feathers.
Laundry baskets and hampers can be a playground for germs. Don’t forget to clean them regularly.
Keep a healthy level of humidity. Dust mites and mold love moisture. Keeping relative humidity around 30 to 50 percent helps keep these and other allergens under control.
When choosing paints, look for low- or no-VOC products to avoid headaches and respiratory problems.
Living Room
Houseplants work as a natural air filter by adding oxygen and absorbing carbon dioxide. Some of the best houseplants for treating indoor air pollution: philodendron, English ivy, spider plant, dracaena, weeping fig, peace lily, bamboo and reed palm.
Make sure to open your windows from time to time and air out the house. Fresh air will help clear allergens from a room.
For safer fires, install a fireplace insert and check the chimney yearly. Install carbon monoxide alarms and store firewood outside the house.
Even if you routinely change furnace and air conditioner filters and vacuum regularly, you may still want the extra insurance of an air purifier, especially if members of your household have respiratory problems. When shopping for a system, look at the CADR (Clean Air Delivery Rate) number. The higher the number, the stronger the cleaning power.
Kitchen
Mopping picks up the dust that vacuuming leaves behind. New microfiber mops and dust cloths reportedly capture more dust and dirt than traditional materials and don’t require any cleaning solutions whatsoever.
Filtering your water has never been easier, thanks to the variety of purification products available, including whole house water filtration systems, under-the-sink filters and faucet-mounted devices.
Don’t forget to replace the filters on your refrigerator’s water and ice maker. Thoroughly clean and disinfect your refrigerator monthly.
Basement
Use a HEPA furnace filter and remember to change it every month (or follow the manufacturer’s recommendations).
Look for fragrance-free or naturally scented laundry products.
To prevent mold from taking hold, don’t let wet clothes sit in the washer for long periods of time.
A dehumidifier (and air conditioner during summer months) helps reduce indoor humidity levels and effectively controls allergens.
This article is excerpted from Lowe’s Creative Ideas magazine.
South Moorhead -
The 3-story at 504 6th Street South has been sold.
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West Fargo, ND - The bi-level at 802 12th Avenue West has been sold.
With changes occurring daily in the real estate and mortgage industries, the business of buying and selling residential real estate is getting more and more complex. If you - or someone you know - has thought about making a move, now might be a good time. I'd be pleased to provide you with information on other homes currently for sale, or discuss the sale of your present property. Please feel free to contact me at any time.
As you prepare to put your house on the market, it's important to keep in mind that home buyers coming to see your house won't see it in the same way you do. What may be "charming" or "antique-looking" to you may evoke different feelings in a prospective buyer.
With today's market challenges and more competition than ever before for home sales, home staging has become a necessity and an intergral part of selling real estate. If it's done right, your house will sell more quickly.
For those attempting to stage a house themselves, there are quite a few common mistakes that can undermine a successful sale. The key to good home staging is not to get too personal. Home staging is meant to create a neutral canvas that'll appeal to the majority of buyers. It's all about de-personalizing the space and creating more of a luxury hotel or a model home look.
You want buyers to picture themselves moving into the home without being influenced by your personal taste. If the color palette or decorating style is too far out, people will be put off by the personality of the home and it'll be difficult for them to visualize themselves and their own belongings in the house. This means putting away all the photos, children's artwork, trophies, and other knickknacks. You want the buyers to look at your house, not your children's baby photos.
A common staging mistake is not taking advantage of the natural light that your house has. Blocking off any light with heavy curtains or furniture can hurt your sale, especially if the house has an attractive view. If the drapes are from the early to mid-90s, chances are they're too heavy and too dated. Remove them and replace them with panel drapes on a rod.
Big mistakes can be made with furniture as well. The size of the furniture needs to be in balance with the scale of the room and other furniture in it. Think "less is more." Remember that the purpose of furniture when selling a home is to define the purpose of the room and to show what will fit where. It's not meant to show that you can provide seating for 15 in your living room and every seat has a side table to rest drinks on.
Home staging is also not a way to simply cover up for poor maintenance and structural problems. It's important to ensure your house is in good condition for the sale and use the staging to make your house more appealing.
For more staging ideas and other home selling strategies, contact me.
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South Fargo - The 4-level split at 1526 29th Avenue South has been sold.
With changes occurring daily in the real estate and mortgage industries, the business of buying and selling residential real estate is getting more and more complex. If you - or someone you know - has thought about making a move, now might be a good time. I'd be pleased to provide you with information on other homes currently for sale, or discuss the sale of your present property. Please feel free to contact me at any time.
When it comes to private mortgage insurance (PMI), there are several myths that exist which make buyers reluctant to consider a conventional loan over an FHA insured loan. One of the more common misconceptions is that cancelling PMI is a difficult and time-consuming process. The irony is that the majority of buyers don't harbor those same beliefs or reservations about an FHA insured loan. In reality, FHA coverage may be less easily cancelled or take longer to cancel than private mortgage insurance.
Homeowners Protection Act (HPA) Makes Cancellation Clearer
When the HPA of 1998 went into effect, it required lenders and loan services to provide disclosures regarding mortgage insurance for residential loans obtained on or after July 29,1999. Prior to this, consumers were responsible for requesting mortgage insurance cancellation if they met two factors: one, their loan balance was paid down to 80% of the property's value; and two, they had a good payment history. While many lenders allowed consumers to drop mortgage insurance coverage, consumers had sole responsibility for keeping track of their loan balance.
The HPA established three different times when a lender or servicer must notify consumers of their rights.
At closing, lenders must disclose:
the right to request mortgage insurance cancellation and the date on which the request can be made;
the requirement that the insurance be automatically terminated and the date on which this will occur;
any exemptions to the right to cancellation or automatic termination; and
a written initial amortization schedule for fixed-rate loans only.
Each year, loan servicers must send borrowers a written statement that discloses:
When mortgage insurance coverage is cancelled or terminated, lenders must send a notification to borrowers stating:
Termination of Coverage
Mortgage lenders and loan servicers must automatically cancel borrower-paid mortgage insurance coverage when the mortgage has amoritized to 78% of the original property value, with all unearned premiums returned to the borrower within 45 days of the cancellation or termination date. This provision also requires that the borrower be current on mortgage payments. If the loan is delinquent on the date of automatic termination, a lender must terminate the coverage as soon as the loan becomes current.
Cancellation of Coverage
With an FHA loan, a borrower can only initiate a mortgage insurance cancellation based on their prepayment of the loan, and even then it can only be requested beginning five years after the loan origination date. On a conventional loan, a borrower can request cancellation in less than five years, based on loan prepayment or an appraisal, as soon as the mortgage balance reaches 80% of the property value.
With either type of loan, all payments must be current. This means a homeowner must not be 30 days late on a mortgage payment within one year of their request or 60 days late within two years.
Why This Matters
By understanding these rules and what they mean for you, you can better evaluate all your home financing options based on facts rather than myths. This is even more important considering FHA's mortgage insurance price increase. Effectively, it increases your monthly mortgage payments and reduces your purchasing power.
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North Fargo, North Dakota - The single story at 3626 Fairway Road North has been sold.
Are you, or is someone you know, relocating? As part of the largest global broker network, I'm afforded the opportunity to work with hundreds of top real estate brokerage firms. I can find you, or your friends and family, an experienced real estate professional to assist anywhere in the United States, Canada, and beyond. Contact me for a free, personalized relocation kit including helpful information on the destination area and its real estate market.
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South Fargo, North Dakota - The bi-level at 1825 57 Ave S has been sold.
With changes occurring daily in the real estate and mortgage industries, buying and selling residential real estate is getting more and more complex. If you, or some you know, has thought about making a move, now might be a good time. I'd be pleased to provide you with information on other homes currently for sale, or discuss the sale of your present property. Please feel free to call me at any time.
- The rate on a thirty year fixed rate mortgage remained relatively unchanged last week at 4.70%, but is down 25 bps from mid-April.
- The average annual inflation expectation in the U.S. over the next ten years declined by 9 bps to 2.30%
- The decline in inflation expectations and continued low long term interest rates may suggest expectations of slower economic growth. It may also suggest a preference for less risk assets.
It's hard to remember what your home needs throughout the year. Use this maintenance checklist to prevent unneccessary and expensive problems down the road.
Check for settling after spring thaw and maintain drainage away from the house, throughout the whole yard.
Turn on water to outside hose connection.
Check and clean central air conditioning system.
Clean or replace furnace filter.
Summer's coming... eventually. So get your house and yard ready to take on the fun.
Before You Fire Up the Grill
Your grill plays a big part in many families' routines. Make sure everything is in good working order to avoid any unnecessary hassles that may get in the way of your fun-packed summer. If you have a gas grill,
Check for leaks. Mix a small amount of dishwashing liquid and water in a spray bottle. Spray the hose and all connections then, with the hose connected to the propane tank, open the gas. If bubbles appear, you have a leak and need to replace the hose or fix a loose connection.
Check the flame -- it should be blue. A yellow flame means there are either clogged air jets or burners that need adjustment.
Clean the grill inside and out. Scrub burners and grates with a wire brush and then cut the grease build-up with a vinegar and water solution. Rinse clean and let dry thoroughly. Agood all-purpose cleaner can take care of the outside of the grill.
Keep Your Cool
Make sure your refrigerator and freezer are in tip-top shape so they can keep prepped ingredients and leftovers at the right temperatures.
Make sure the interior cooling vents aren't blocked. The air needs to circulate to ensure safe food preservation.
Keep the refrigerator temperature at 36-38 degrees and the freezer at no colder than 0-6 degrees. You can buy inexpensive refrigerator and freezer thermometers to help you maintain the right temperature.
Keep gaskets on the refrigerator and freezer doors clean with mild detergent and water, not bleach. This'll ensure a good seal and prevent wasted energy.
Tidy Up Outside
Check the deck and stairways for any look boards or railings. Now's a good time to get out the power tools and make the yard safer as well as neater.
Give your lawn mower a check-up. Make sure it's functioning at its best so that you can mow efficiently and safely.
After mowing the lawn, break out the trimmer and edger to give your yard a neat appearance.
For more tips on getting ready for summer fun, visit Savvy Shopper.
I welcome questions and comments. Let me know what you're looking forward to the most this summer.