Problems like squeaky stairs and oil stains on the garage floor can be quick turnoffs to buyers. But these common household troubles need not hold your home back from selling-particularly if they're relatively easy for a do-it-yourselfer to fix. While it is best to bring in an expert to correct big problems, below are tips from Lynda Lyday for capable home owners who want to try their own hand at a solution.
Problem: Oil Stains on Garage Floor
Lyday's solution: "You can remove most of a stubborn oil stain with a bit of elbow grease and scrubbing. First, remove the surface oil by sprinkling some cat littler on it to soak it up. Then clear away the cat littler and focus on the stain. Make a paste of hot water and dry dish or laundry detergent. Use a stiff bristle scrub brush to scrub the area with the paste. Hose the area and let it dry. Another method is to use a product such as Spray 'n Wash on a stain for ten minutes, along with a dry detergent. Your last option is to spray on some oven cleaner. Use this sparingly, wash it down thoroughly, and keep children and pets away from it."
Problem: Leaky Faucets
Lyday's solution: "Most faucet leaks can easily be fixed with a rubber washer, an O-ring, depending on what type of faucet it is. By fixing the problem yourself, you can save a good bit of money since plumbers can be expensive and will charge you a standard fee even if it takes only ten minutes to fix the problem."
Problem: Nail Pops
Lyday's solution: "Nail pops are a problem across the country. The term comes from the nails that hold the drywall to the studs actually popping out through the face of the drywall. This is from either a house settling or the wood studs drying out over time, squeezing the nail out of the wood and pushing it through the drywall. The fix for this isn't terribly hard, but it's tedious because there are up to 32 nails in a 4-foot by 8-foot sheet of drywall. My suggestion is to pound the nail through the drywall to the stud. Then, just above it, place a drywall screw to hold the drywall to the stud, and finish it off with a few coats of spackle or join compound. Finally, seal and paint it. Most home-improvement stores also sell nail pop kits that can make this job easier."
Problem: Squeaky Stairs
Lyday's solution: "The most common problems that occur in a staircase are the treads (horizontal surface of the steps) coming loose, which causes squeaking. Also common are the spindles or balusters coming loose. If you can get underneath the staircase, fixing the treads is easy. You will need to attach an L bracket from the underside of the tread to the stringer (the long piece of wood that connects the treads and runs diagonally up the wall). If you can't get underneath the staircase, you'll have to make the repair from above. Squeaky stair kits are available that allow you to make this fix even through carpet. Otherwise, you can secure the tread to the stringer with a trim screw."
Monday, October 25, 2010
Monday, October 4, 2010
What is happening with Colorado urban foreclosures?
The below article was recently in the Denver Business Journal. It has some good statistical information for your review. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Foreclosure filings in Colorado's largest counties fell 10.1 percent in August from a year earlier, but were up 15.6 percent from the previous month, the Colorado Division of Housing reported Tuesday. Meanwhile, foreclosure sales in the state's urban areas were up 29.7 in August from 2009 and up 11.5 percent from July 2010.
"This movement upward ends several months of generally declining foreclosure sales totals, although an upward trend has not been established at this point," the state report says.
However, "given recent declines in foreclosure filings, foreclosure sales are likely to continue a general downward trend," the report adds.
A three-month moving average shows foreclosure-filing rates gradually dropping in the urban counties since mid-2009. Foreclosure sales usually come several months after a filing.
The state's monthly "Metropolitan Foreclosure Report" covers 12 urban counties of Colorado: Denver as well as Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Douglas, El Paso, Jefferson, Larimer, Mesa, Pueblo and Weld counties.
According to the state report, there were 3,142 new foreclosure filings in the urban counties during August, down from 3,496 in the same month of 2009 but up from 2,718 in July 2010.
There were 1,763 foreclosure sales at auction last month, up from 1,359 a year earlier and up from 1,581 in July 2010.
Foreclosure filings are the first stage in the foreclosure process, which can either lead to a foreclosure sale of a property several months later or a homeowner avoiding a sale by settling with a lender. Foreclosure sales figures include properties that revert to the lender as well as sales to a third party.
By county, Adams County saw the greatest year-over-year decline in new foreclosure filings in August among the state's urban counties, down 24.2 percent, followed by Denver County (down 20 percent) and Arapahoe County (down 15.2 percent).
New finings increased the most in Pueblo County (31.6 percent) and Jefferson County (8 percent). Of the 12 counties in the report, Adams County had the highest rate of foreclosure sales in August (one per 616 households) and Boulder County the lowest (one per 2,029).
For the eight-month period ending in August, foreclosure filings in the 12 urban counties declined 11.8 percent from the same months of 2009, while foreclosure sales rose 21.4 percent.
Of the 12 counties, Denver saw the greatest decline in new filings between the two eight-month periods, down 22.1 percent, followed by Adams (down 17.9 percent) and Larimer counties (down 17.3 percent). Only Mesa County saw a rise in filings (up 51.3 percent) between the two periods.
In a separate Division of Housing report released August 5th, covering the entire state and giving second-quarter numbers, officials said new foreclosure filings in Colorado fell 15.7 percent in the quarter from the same period of 2009, but foreclosures sales rose 17.7 percent.
It was the third consecutive quarter with a decline in Colorado filings from the previous quarter, and the lowest quarterly filings tally in five quarters.
Foreclosure filings in Colorado's largest counties fell 10.1 percent in August from a year earlier, but were up 15.6 percent from the previous month, the Colorado Division of Housing reported Tuesday. Meanwhile, foreclosure sales in the state's urban areas were up 29.7 in August from 2009 and up 11.5 percent from July 2010.
"This movement upward ends several months of generally declining foreclosure sales totals, although an upward trend has not been established at this point," the state report says.
However, "given recent declines in foreclosure filings, foreclosure sales are likely to continue a general downward trend," the report adds.
A three-month moving average shows foreclosure-filing rates gradually dropping in the urban counties since mid-2009. Foreclosure sales usually come several months after a filing.
The state's monthly "Metropolitan Foreclosure Report" covers 12 urban counties of Colorado: Denver as well as Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Douglas, El Paso, Jefferson, Larimer, Mesa, Pueblo and Weld counties.
According to the state report, there were 3,142 new foreclosure filings in the urban counties during August, down from 3,496 in the same month of 2009 but up from 2,718 in July 2010.
There were 1,763 foreclosure sales at auction last month, up from 1,359 a year earlier and up from 1,581 in July 2010.
Foreclosure filings are the first stage in the foreclosure process, which can either lead to a foreclosure sale of a property several months later or a homeowner avoiding a sale by settling with a lender. Foreclosure sales figures include properties that revert to the lender as well as sales to a third party.
By county, Adams County saw the greatest year-over-year decline in new foreclosure filings in August among the state's urban counties, down 24.2 percent, followed by Denver County (down 20 percent) and Arapahoe County (down 15.2 percent).
New finings increased the most in Pueblo County (31.6 percent) and Jefferson County (8 percent). Of the 12 counties in the report, Adams County had the highest rate of foreclosure sales in August (one per 616 households) and Boulder County the lowest (one per 2,029).
For the eight-month period ending in August, foreclosure filings in the 12 urban counties declined 11.8 percent from the same months of 2009, while foreclosure sales rose 21.4 percent.
Of the 12 counties, Denver saw the greatest decline in new filings between the two eight-month periods, down 22.1 percent, followed by Adams (down 17.9 percent) and Larimer counties (down 17.3 percent). Only Mesa County saw a rise in filings (up 51.3 percent) between the two periods.
In a separate Division of Housing report released August 5th, covering the entire state and giving second-quarter numbers, officials said new foreclosure filings in Colorado fell 15.7 percent in the quarter from the same period of 2009, but foreclosures sales rose 17.7 percent.
It was the third consecutive quarter with a decline in Colorado filings from the previous quarter, and the lowest quarterly filings tally in five quarters.
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