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Charming Bungalow Home!: 3336 Lebron Road

by The Hat Team

3336 Lebron Road, Montgomery, Alabama 36106

MLS# 450903

3 Bedrooms | 2 Bathroom | 2,486 sqft | Cloverdale

Play VisualTour

Hurry, this charming Cloverdale Idlewild bungalow can be yours just in time for the Spring Concert series in the park! You could listen from the front porch swing or walk a couple of blocks to enjoy what has become a huge event. Great old house features like tall ceilings, hardwood floors, wide hallway and even an upstairs bonus room. Updated kitchen with a breakfast nook and plenty of cabinets. Huge master suite with updated bath and walk-in closet. The best room just might be the side deck off the kitchen, perfect for morning coffee or an evening cocktail. Cute, cute, cute, come see this Midtown Montgomery home today!

Midtown Montgomery Home For Sale: 4609 Fox Den Lane

by The Hat Team

Midtown Montgomery Home For Sale:

4609 Fox Den Lane, Montgomery AL 36106
MLS# 324352

Great Space In Quiet Setting!

4609 fox den lane

Looking for great space and a quiet setting in Midtown Montgomery? This wonderful 4 bedroom brick home is tucked away on a cul-de-sac in the very back of conveniently located Young Place. Property backs up to nice wooded area, so no back neighbors to deal with (only peace and privacy!) Updated kitchen is spacious and a joy to cook in. An extra large breakfast room can double as a kids pay area or home office space. Master bedroom with plenty of closets is located downstairs, along with another guest bedroom and bath. Upstairs are two large bedrooms and a third bathroom. The attached carport and multiple parking spaces are perfect for a big family or lots of guests. The fenced back yard contains two storage buildings! Move-in ready, so call your favorite agent today to view this wonderful home.

Marketed by Montgomery Realtors Sandra Nickel Hat Team.

 

Midtown Montgomery Home For Sale: 3521 Edgefield Road

by The Hat Team

Midtown Montgomery Home For Sale:

3521 Edgefield Road, Montgomery AL 36111
MLS# 321082

One Of the Nicest Homes In Midtown!

3521 edgefield rd
Impeccable property owned by the same meticulous owner for 37 years!! Great central location in Midtown Montgomery close to everything from shopping to parks and entertainment. Look at all the cheaper and more expensive competitors then see this home. It will be by far the nicest one on the market for the money!! This seller downsizing is your opportunity to own one of, if not the nicest homes on the market for the price!! Please give us or your favorite agent a call to see this great spotless home today!

Marketed by Montgomery Realtors Sandra Nickel Hat Team!

Looking To Add Value To Your Home? Consider an Outdoor Space

by The Hat Team

There are many reasons to consider adding an outdoor living area to your home! The benefits are many and personal. But, one added benefit is the value it can add.

outdoor spaceA recent article in RISMedia, a real estate information leader, highlighted 5 reasons to invest in outdoor spaces. According to IBISWorld, a market research firm, “investing in outdoor living provides a good return on investment for most people, making it an ideal home improvement project.”

Here are some benefits to consider:

  1. Personal enjoyment. Why spend money on home improvements unless they provide personal enjoyment for your family? This can range from providing a space to relax and unwind, to providing a place to simply enjoy each other and have fun, to providing fun for the kids.
     
  2. Save money by having an enjoyable place for your recreation right in your own backyard. Having outdoor spaces at your home means that it is custom made to your desires and you don’t have to get in your car to go somewhere else. The money saved in gas or fees to join a club can be better spent on your own space.
     
  3. Entertaining opportunities abound with your own private outdoor space. Imagine your indoor entertaining space flowing to the outdoors with a place for a fireplace or outdoor barbecue kitchen. It creates more opportunities for adults to have a space to talk and for the kids to have their own recreation opportunities.
     
  4. Benefits of nature. Lot’s of research demonstrates the benefits of spending time outdoors, including stress reduction and improved mental clarity and concentration. Stepping out of your indoor environment into a relationship with nature in any form transforms our ability to relax.
     
  5. Resale value of your home will be enhanced almost immeasurably by creating outdoor spaces. You shouldn’t necessarily count on recuperating 100% of the cost, but HGTV claims that homeowners recoup 65%-90% of their investment just by adding a deck! Meantime you and your family enjoy the added benefits of the outdoor living, and when you decide to sell there is an intangible added attraction for potential buyers.

Bob Dallas, CEO of UltraOutdoors.com, explains “not only is it good for the value of your home, but it’s a solid investment for…giving your family a relaxing area where they can re-charge their batteries.”

Research the many options including outdoor fireplaces, kitchens, water features, decks, sitting areas, and landscaping. The possibilities literally range from the extravagant to the very modest. Consider seeking the help of a design professional. The key is finding just the right combination of possibilities for the enjoyment of your family.

Information courtesy of Montgomery Realtors Sandra Nickel Hat Team.

Midtown Montgomery Home For Sale: 3255 Wilmington Rd

by The Hat Team

Midtown Montgomery Home For Sale:

3255 Wilmington Rd, Montgomery AL 36105
MLS# 319070

Room To Spread Out!

3255 wilmintgon rd

Lots of room to spread out in this lovely brick South Hull home in Midtown Montgomery. Formal dining and living room have beautiful hardwood floors and charming architectural features. Cozy enclosed sun porch off living room could have many uses. Open kitchen looks into the den/family room AND there is a HUGE Florida room across the back for additional living/entertaining space. Three nicely sized bedrooms and an updated hall bath round out the living quarters. There is a wide staircase providing access to a BIG attic area great for storage and with potential for even more living space. Mature trees provide shade canopy front and back, which helps on utilities.

Marketed by Montgomery Realtors Sandra Nickel Hat Team.

Pay More or Less

by The Hat Team

Paying more for your house payment does not make your home more valuable. It does mean that the mortgage rate may be higher than it has to be.

more or less.png

Even though fixed rates may never again be as low as they are currently, an adjustable rate mortgage may provide the lowest cost of ownership depending on how long a borrower plans to own a home. There are different types of ARMs but the one in this example is a 30 year mortgage with the rate fixed for five years and can adjust every one year after that based on independent indexes.

Another feature of a FHA ARM is the maximum rate change in one period is 1% and the maximum lifetime cap is 5% over the initial rate.

In the example below, the payment on the adjustable is $153.48 lower for the first five years or 60 payments. Another interesting thing is that lower interest rate loans amortize faster than higher interest rate loans. In this example, the ARM has a lower unpaid balance at the end of the first five years by $4,239.

The total savings on the ARM at the end of the first period is $13,477. If a borrower felt confident they would sell the home prior to the breakeven point of 8.5 years, the ARM would produce a lower cost of housing even if the mortgage rate escalated the maximum at each adjustment period.

To help determine whether you pay more or less, consult with a trusted mortgage professional and your real estate agent to learn the advantages and disadvantages of different programs. To try your own comparison, check today’s rates at the Freddie Mac Mortgage Rate Survey and plug your numbers into an Equity Accelerator.

ARM comparison2.png.jpg
 

Information courtesy of Montgomery Realtors Sandra Nickel Hat Team.

5 Tips for Selling Your Home This Spring

by The Hat Team

Selling your home can be as easy as one, two, three!  Here we are going to give you a few tips and ideas to make selling your home a bit easier this spring.  If you are willing to take these tips and tricks to heart and do your part to do them to the best of your ability, you will likely reap the rewards of doing so.  Get ready to sell your home this year and move on to your dream home!

  1. sold signMake sure that you have done your part to make the outside of your home look nice.   A fresh coat of paint can make a huge difference in the curb appeal of your home.   You can do this yourself or you can hire a professional painter to speed the painting process along. Choose a color that will make your home stand out but also be sure that you choose a color that is neutral and that most people are going to like. 
     
  2. Take the plunge and purchase new carpet for your house. If selling your home is important to you, you are going to do what it takes to get it sold for the price you want sold for.  If you are blessed enough to live in an older home that has beautiful hardwoods under the old carpet, you might be able to just pull the old carpet up and expose the nice hardwoods.  It may take a bit of work to get the hardwoods up to par, but this kind of flooring can be a huge plus towards selling your home if you happen to already have it under your carpet.
     
  3. Wallpaper is outdated so keep that in mind when you are getting ready to sell your home.  Go ahead and take down all the wallpaper so that you can paint with a nice neutral color that will be pleasing to anyone’s eye. 
     
  4. If you have pets in your home, do your best to remove all of their belongings before a showing.  People do not want to see the home as yours, they want to see and envision themselves living in the house and having your pet’s belongings all over the house will not help them to achieve that goal.   If your buyer can see themselves living in your house they are more likely to purchase it.
     
  5. Replace all of your lights with high wattage bulbs.  The brighter the better when you are trying to sell your home!  You want your home to pop and grab folk’s attention and this little trick will do just that for you! 

As I said, if you are willing to put forth a bit of extra effort with the above tips and ideas when it comes to selling your house, you will soon find that your house may sell before all the others in your neighborhood! 

Information courtesy of Montgomery Realtor Sandra Nickel.

When Renting Again Makes Good Sense

by The Hat Team

After you take the training wheels off your bike and learn to ride it, you'd never consider putting them back on again.  Similarly, once you've owned a home, you might think you'll own a home from now on but there may be some situations where it might make sense to rent again.

for rentBig shifts in a person's life like a divorce, death of spouse, empty nesting or a temporary transfer to a new city are certainly things that may warrant renting, at least temporarily, until those circumstances develop the particulars.

A good example might be that you think you'd like to move downtown.  Before selling your home and purchasing a condo, it might be enlightening to rent an apartment to see how you'll adapt to the changes in that style of living.

The sales and purchase expenses incurred with real estate are absorbed over the period ownership which is usually between ten and twelve years.  When the holding period involves only a few years, it can negatively impact a homeowner's equity.

Like any move, especially coordinating the sale and purchase of two homes, there are a lot of issues involved.  Your real estate professional can provide information that will help you to make better decisions on whether to buy, sell or rent again.

Information courtesy of Montgomery Realtor Sandra Nickel, Hat Team Realtors.

Montgomery AL Home For Sale: 3884 Berkshire Drive

by The Hat Team

Montgomery AL Home For Sale:

3884 Berkshire Drive, Montgomery AL 36109
MLS# 316458

Own For Less Than Rent!

3884 berkshire drive

Great patio home with fireplace and open plan near the Timbers off Dalraida Road. Split bedroom plan great for small family, single or roommates. Own for less than rent! Call us or your favorite agent to see.

Marketed by Montgomery Realtor Sandra Nickel, Hat Team Realtors.

Home Too Big Now?

by The Hat Team

Once the kids are grown, have careers, relationships and get a place of their own, parents find that they may not need their “big” home like they did before. Their lifestyle may have changed and the house just doesn’t “fit” anymore.

kidsBenefits of a smaller home:

  • Easier to maintain 
  • Lower utilities
  • Lower property taxes 
  • Lower insurance
  • More convenient location
  • Convenience of a single level
  • Possibly more energy efficient
  • Possibly lower maintenance

Moving from a larger home frees equity from the previous home that can be invested for retirement income, purchase a second home, travel, education or just to have a nest egg for unexpected expenses.  The profit on the home, in most cases, will be tax-free up to the exclusion limits set by IRS.

There will be expenses involved in selling a home as well as the purchase of a new home.  These will lower the amount of net proceeds available to invest in the new home.

Like any other big change in life, it is recommended that you take your time to consider the possible alternatives and outcomes.  Your real estate professional can provide information that can be valuable in the discernment process such as what your home is worth, what you will net from a sale as well as alternative properties for your next stage in life.

Information courtesy of Montgomery Realtor Sandra Nickel, Hat Team.

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