Which Remodeling Projects Pay Off the Most?

This is one of the most commonly asked questions that I get this time of year when homeowners contemplate which home improvement projects they are thinking of tackling.  

If you are interested in knowing which ones are best, drop a note or give a call and we can discuss it in detail as the answer(s) might surprise you.  Keep in mind that there is a big difference between making your home more "salable" and making it more "valuable".  The best way is to spend some time together at your home so that we can, together, decide which items make the most sense given the competitive market that you will be in should you decide to list your home.

The spring listing season has rapidly come upon us, and the buyers seem to have more of a sense of urgency this year than they have in years...that is not to imply that we are at the "silliness" level that was experienced 5-8 years ago.  With that said, it is more important than ever to prepare a carefully thought out plan as to what should be done to attract buyers to your home over the others that are currently for sale.  The winners in the market today understand that in order to "win" that it is part "beauty contest" and part "pricing war".  As the local real estate market recovers, inventory levels will drop with an appreciatory period slightly behind.  In my opinion, that is where we are right now.

Something that I am also monitoring is the ratio of renters to owners, and why there is such a high level of renters right now.  It would appear that many of the current renters are doing so as a result of a blip in their credit, and are now waiting for their past situation to clear allowing them to then enter back into the market as homeowners.  Based on extensive research, it appears that we should be coming into a period where many of them will be able to buy again as well.  This will only add to the pressure on existing inventories and accelerate the time frame to the aforementioned appreciatory period that is expected.  Barring any unexpected change in the world markets, I think that we are closer to the end of the "buyers" market in Alaska than what is currently being reported on a National level.  Here is a story from the National Association of REALTORS that illustrates that point.  http://www.realtor.org/press_room/news_releases/2012/01/phs_dec

I will continue to monitor all of the factors that have a bearing on the local real estate market so that when the need arises, be able to provide a superior level of counsel so that you can make an informed, educated decision based on that research.

With the amount of snow that we have received in the Mat-Su Valley, the moose have been forced out of their normal wintering grounds and are out in record numbers by the roads.  The amount of car-moose hits has already surpassed last year's year end count as a result.

Until next time...watch out for moose along the road and drive safe!

Greg